LEC Chairs, Base Offices & Displacements

We recognize that pilot leaders need time to represent their pilots and do the work of running our association. We simply cannot expect our elected leadership to be effective unless they can devote themselves to the task at hand. We also acknowledge the importance of pilot reps being out on the line, working along side the membership, building relationships and bringing the daily experience of flying the line back to the association.

We need to find a better balance between the current practice of a single fully displaced base chair, regardless of the size and scope of work at that base. This crisis is the right time to look at resource allocation. We believe there is room to improve the way we service our members across the association while ensuring that our pilot leaders get the opportunity to fly along side the pilots they represent.

Pooling the displacement credits of LEC chairs could allow reps to better share work between chair, vice chair and councillors across the bases– and give busier bases the extra support they need with larger numbers. Pilots should always represent pilots on issues relating to their flight deck performance, so we support the continued work of both our training committee and our pilot assistance team in dealing with these issues directly. Additionally we support exploring the development of professional standards programs found at other unionized carriers.

Finally, as we look to tighten our belts under what is proving to be a sustained downturn, we need to look at the viability of physical office spaces at each base. We should endeavor to find creative ways to share the space, perhaps with other pilot unions, or be ready be ready to close the offices and redirect the resources more efficiently.