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March 14th, 2025
Fellow Porter Pilots,
As the card drive continues to progress, we recognize there are some Porter pilots at different stages of their decision-making process. Many of you have submitted your ALPA representation card and are eagerly awaiting ALPA membership. We thank you for the support and share your excitement! Either way, we have enjoyed sharing these weekly communication updates so that you can learn more about what ALPA has to offer and what Porter Pilots for Change is trying to achieve.
Our next opportunity for you to learn more about unionization and ask any questions you may have will be this Monday, March 17, at 1:00 p.m. EDT. Similar to past calls, we will have a brief presentation of the basics of why unions are important followed by time for questions and answers.
We also want to take an opportunity to introduce some of the passionate organizers who are reaching out to our pilot group and helping collect cards. In the bios below you’ll learn more about who they are, why they’ve stepped up, and what drives their passion for this cause. We believe that knowing the people leading this effort will reinforce the importance of our mission and the unity we foster.
The three organizers to start things off are Hasan Aziz (E2 first officer, YYZ), David Zwart (Dash 8 captain, YQT), and Andrew Spanton (Dash 8 captain, YTZ)
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Hasan Aziz, YYZ
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My name is Hasan Aziz and I have been with Porter Airlines since 2022. I started as a Q400 first officer in March 2022 and transitioned to an E2 first officer in April 2024. I am based in YYZ and commute from the East Coast. Outside of aviation, I enjoy spending time with my family, hiking, traveling, and running.
I want to join ALPA because I truly believe the time has come for Porter pilots to have the collective strength, representation, and protections that ALPA provides. Having ALPA at Porter will ensure we have a strong voice in shaping our future. As our airline grows, we need a unified and experienced organization advocating for our rights, ensuring that we are all treated fairly and in line with industry standards.
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My name is David Zwart, a Dash 8 captain based in Thunder Bay. I have been flying professionally for 15 years, flying Dash 8s out of Thunder Bay for over six years and at Porter since September 2023.
Outside of professional flying, I am married and a father of two fantastic young kids. In what little time a young family affords, I am also building a Van’s Aircraft RV8.
At my previous employer, I was the ALPA Safety Committee Chair. This meant I was responsible for providing the safety resources available to the ALPA pilots at my airline--everything from accident investigation to peer support, management interactions, company policy development and review, SMS, and so on.
Much of this work was done with the assistance of and collaboration from all the other airline’s ALPA Safety Committee Chairs that form the ALPA Safety Council in addition to frequently interacting with ALPA safety leadership and support staff. I even participated as the ALPA representative on a Transport Canada working group.
Coming to Porter was a great opportunity to see how a non-union airline functions. Porter is a fantastic company. Management and the FOAG representatives have done a fantastic job of creating a great place to work with exciting growth opportunities. Having seen what ALPA offers, I know it will make Porter even better. Porter is a fantastic company, but I miss access to ALPA resources. I have joined our ALPA Organizing Committee to do my part to bring ALPA resources to Porter and ourselves as Porter pilots.
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My name is Andrew Spanton and I'm a Dash 8 captain at YTZ. Since learning to fly in 2012, I have always heard great things about Porter. As a student, I would often hear about how inclusive the culture is, how everyone enjoys working together, and what a positive experience it is to be part of the Porter community. This had a strong bearing on my decision to begin my career with Porter, and now, with six years of experience with Porter under my belt, it is why I choose to stay.
I believe consistent work-life balance is critical to sustaining a long career in aviation. Our job requires us to spend significant time away from home. I want to be as energized at work as I am at home, cooking or spending time outside with my family. With stronger protections and guidelines in place, I believe Porter has the capability to accomplish this balance.
Recently, Porter has achieved significant growth. As someone who has seen this transition through, I have observed definite changes in the culture of the company. Porter expanded quickly, and this growth led to a clear shift in the way in which employees are treated. We have outgrown the FOAG as our employee representation.
It is time for Porter pilots to join the rest of our colleagues across the country and become part of ALPA. This will ensure Porter remains the desirable career destination we all know it to be. It is for this reason I decided to join the Porter Pilots for Change Organizing Committee. It's fulfilling to know I am part of helping steer our pilot group, in some way, towards the representation we all deserve.
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Moving Forward
We look forward to introducing you to more of our organizers in the coming weeks. We hope you will join us on Monday with any questions or concerns you have. A reminder that cards can be submitted by any of the following methods:
- Find a member of the Porter OC for a card (see locations here), fill it out, and hand it back to them (along with the $5 fee required by law)
- Download a card from the Porter OC website, fill it out, and hand it to a member of the Porter OC
- Download a card from the Porter OC website, fill it out, and mail it in to ALPA (please no coins)
In unity,
The Porter Pilots ALPA Organizing Committee
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