Thank you for hosting me on your latest all-pilot call, where I had the opportunity to share with some of you what I do for Canadian pilots. For those not on the call, let me introduce myself – I am Captain James Harding, a pilot at Wasaya Airlines for over 20 years, where I serve as Master Executive Council (MEC) Chair and have held this position for 13 years. At ALPA, the MEC at each airline is responsible for the handling of issues facing that pilot group.
Beyond my role assisting the Wasaya pilots, I was elected to ALPA's Executive Council last October at our biannual Board of Directors' meeting to represent the interests of 19 Canadian pilot groups. At the Executive Council level, we: review and approve budgets, large expenditures, and vendor agreements; review and apply our governing policies; and make decisions for the betterment of our Association and profession. Ultimately, we ensure that pilot group leaders have the tools and resources (backed by finances and policies) needed to effectively represent their members’ interests.
Another area where I assist pilot groups is through ALPA’s Strategic Planning Committee where I support MECs in creating and administering their pilot group’s strategic plan and direction. These strategic plans are constructed by an MEC together with assistance from other pilot volunteers on both sides of the border. We are also supported by ALPA’s staff lawyers and benefits specialists from the Representation department, Communications Specialists, Financial Analysts from ALPA's Economic and Financial Analysis (E&FA) department, safety and security experts, and others required to help identify a group’s current or potential problems, develop solutions, and assist the local volunteers in accomplishing the pilot group’s objectives.
The key, however, is that ALPA is a pilot run, staff supported organization, and as such, pilot volunteers make decisions on behalf of our Association within the international structure.
My service to ALPA pilots has provided me the opportunity to see all aspects of our organization and I can wholeheartedly say that our profession is stronger when we are all working together under one Association protecting each other.
When you sign a card for ALPA representation, you sign up for:
- A stronger voice in your working conditions.
- Access to ALPA’s safety organization and non-political committees who work on your behalf to make sure everything is safe on your flights, in an effort to ensure that you are looked after and protected.
- A global network with membership in the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations (IFALPA) – which can be particularly helpful when flying overseas.
- A stronger voice to the government, having a direct link to regulators in Ottawa and Washington (with Transport Canada and the Federal Aviation Administration respectively) – with ALPA advocating to advance and protect the profession.
I encourage each of you to sign a card for ALPA representation and I truly hope to work with your pilot group as ALPA's newest MEC in the near future.