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March 31, 2025
Fellow Porter Pilots,
As the card drive continues to progress, we bring another round of "Meet the Organizing Committee"--an opportunity for you to understand why we are motivated to join ALPA. This week we introduce you to Capt. Ivano Corriero (E2 YYZ), Capt. Jeff Carswell (Dash 8 YTZ), and F/O Slav Martinov (E2 YOW).
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Ivano Corriero, E2 Captain, YYZ
Both the company and the pilots deserve a framework with the expertise to foresee most problems in an agreement beforehand, a means to work collaboratively on
unforeseen problems, and accountability to keep things on track when they’re not.
I’m a YYZ Captain who’s been at Porter since 2011. I did training and GS/CRM on the Dash, and I am very passionate about Porter Airlines. I’ve been representing Porter Pilots in various capacities since my second year as a first officer. I have two school-aged daughters and being at home is my number one priority. Quality of Life matters, and no amount of draft pay in the world makes up for lost time. I am also in the unique position of having a wife who was a Porter Pilot and is now at Air Canada. My household has lived both sides of the fence, and has seen the green grass and the bald spots!
I was a pilot FOAG rep for four years, with six years on the Scheduling Committee prior to that. With my FOAG partner Christopher Coote, we ushered Porter pilots through the two most pivotal moments post-startup: COVID and the E2. Looking back at my time on the committee, and watching events unfold now, the need for ALPA is clear.
A big part of our pains and struggles at Porter is that when we implement a new policy, it’s almost always the first time. We don’t have the institutional knowledge to foresee a lot of the problems that then pop up. ALPA provides that vision and experience. It’s still Porter pilots working with the company to implement works-for-Porter solutions, but with the added hand on the shoulder saying: “hey, that might not work the way you think,” or “have you considered what happens in this corner case?” Accountability too; no more of this: “we’ll implement it when we get around to it.” Timelines and deadlines get negotiated ahead of time, with guardrails and penalties to keep things moving in the right direction.
The company traditionally looked to solve staffing problems with recruitment. That’s only half the solution! There will always be those among us who seek greener pastures… that’s the aviation industry. There’s a pretty solid chance we won’t be flying Triples to Tokyo! That said, I thought I’d end my career a Dash 8 pilot, so… I digress! We need to redeploy some focus into keeping the “rage quitters,” the people like my wife, who got fed up and applied to Air Canada after one too many creative interpretations of the FOAG. That ended up working well for her. I have not regretted my decision not to apply anywhere since I started here. This is an awesome place to work; we can make it better!
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Jeff Carswell, Dash 8 Captain, YTZ
Hi, I’m Jeff Carswell and I am currently a Dash 8 Captain with Porter. I joined the company in January 2018, and I have loved my time with the company. I am married with two children and have a love of the Canadian Football League.
I joined the movement to join ALPA because I felt like we need clearer and defined work rules that aren’t left open to interpretation. Since joining the Porter Pilots Organizing Committee (OC), I have broadened my reasons even more to include legal representation in the event we need it and a proper grievance process and protections for our working conditions.
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Slav Martinov, E2 First Officer, YOW
I started at Porter in early 2022 on the Q400 as a YOW-based first officer. About one year later, I moved over to the E2 as a YYZ-based F/O commuter before transferring back to YOW when the base opened in 2024.
Before Porter, I flew the ATR72 for Summit Air out of Yellowknife, NWT. I started my aviation journey in 2012, earning my PPL while attending Carleton University, where I graduated with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering.
Outside of being a pilot, I have worked as an engineer and information technologist for various Canadian airlines and technology companies since 2013. I am a father of one little girl; I enjoy playing guitar, working out, and I love investing.
I am eager for Porter pilots to unify under ALPA so that we can join our brothers and sisters across the country in one coherent and powerful voice. Porter Airlines is a fantastic company and will continue to grow and be successful. Key to that success is the prosperity and happiness of our pilot group and I believe organizing under ALPA will give us the best opportunity to contribute to the growth of the company while keeping Porter Airlines as the best place to work.
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We look forward to introducing you to more of our organizers and ALPA members in the coming weeks. 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)
Thanks to all of those who have submitted a card--let’s keep it up!
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In unity,
The Porter Pilots ALPA Organizing Committee
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