Weighing In: Reducing the Learning Curve for New ALPA Leaders

By Capt. Bill Couette, ALPA Vice President–Administration/Secretary
Capt. Bill Couette, ALPA vice president–administration/secretary, addresses new pilot leaders at the Leadership Training Conference.

Each March, ALPA welcomes a new class of local council officers—elected frontline leaders who begin three-year terms during which they’ll hold regular meetings, enforce contracts, represent members, and oversee local union activities. Those who are also status reps—captain, first officer, seniority block, or flight instructor—will serve on the Association’s Board of Directors (BOD) to conduct strategic planning and set policy for our organization. Clearly, these pilots have an important role to play in our union’s success.

ALPA staggers local council officer terms so that roughly a third begin at this time each year, and for good reason. ALPA’s Balloting and Local Council Support would have to manage more than 300 elections at the same time, requiring additional staff and resources. More importantly, the union could face a situation in which all of its local council officers are new to the job. While I encourage those who haven’t served to get involved, maintaining some level of experience and understanding of duties in our leadership ranks is important to the continuity of our union’s work.

During the first quarter of the year, in conjunction with the beginning of the new term, ALPA’s Professional Development Group Leadership Committee conducts its Leadership Training Conference. Through panel discussions, breakout sessions, and other activities, Capt. David Farmer (Delta), the committee chairman, and his team provide a comprehensive look at the Association. This is a great way for newly elected officers to learn more about their new roles and responsibilities and the resources available through their union. It’s also a chance to meet their fellow reps, and the importance of this can’t be overstated.

As a former Chicago-based status rep, I can tell you that getting to know your peers—so that you have fellow pilots to call when you want to share ideas and compare notes—is invaluable. The relationships you build can significantly reduce your learning curve and help you acclimate to the job that much faster.

Although the conference is provided for new reps, it’s not uncommon to see seasoned local council officers, and even master executive council (MEC) officers, in attendance. They know that this event is a great opportunity not only to network with peers but to get the latest on ALPA projects and initiatives, the state of our industry, and the Association’s products and services.

This year’s Leadership Training Conference attendees learned about the Association’s new electronic proxy system, My Proxy System , which became effective March 1. When a local council meeting is announced, the subjects that make up the meeting’s agenda are loaded into the new system. Members can now submit a proxy online and choose a desired proxy holder. The identified pilot receives an e-mail and can either accept or decline the proxy. Keep in mind that paper proxies can no longer be accepted.

My Proxy System helps ALPA better represent the interests of our members as it allows pilots who are unable to attend a local council meeting to more easily weigh in on local council business. Imagine laying over in Hong Kong and using your smartphone or tablet to submit a proxy so that you can vote at your meeting in Houston. Local council officers who also serve as BOD members worked together to make this change possible.

During the conference, attendees also spent time learning about the many other products and services ALPA provides our members and talking with the Association’s expert professional staff.

I congratulate and welcome the Class of 2017—both the newly elected officers and the seasoned leaders who joined us this year. Nearly 110 new reps and their spouses were present, not to mention MEC officers, national committee chairmen, and others. It was truly a productive session, and everyone had something to contribute.

It’s been said that success is where preparation and opportunity meet; and with the knowledge these new leaders have attained, I know they’re ready to successfully hit the ground running.

This article was originally published in the March 2017 issue of Air Line Pilot.

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