ALPA Jumps To Defend Unlawfully Terminated Pilots

The Canada Industrial Relations Board has certified the Air Line Pilots Association as the representative of more than 300 pilots at Cargojet. The pilots voted an overwhelming yes at 93% for ALPA representation this past August.

“ALPA is proud and honored to welcome our new flying partners and we have already begun work to ensure that Cargojet pilots receive assistance and support needed to protect and advance their careers,” said ALPA president Capt. Joe DePete.

ALPA has recently jumped into action on behalf of 23 Cargojet pilots who were unlawfully terminated just days after the CIRB vote results were announced. ALPA declared that Cargojet management violated several sections of the Canada Labour Code by unreasonably terminating nearly two dozen probationary pilots while continuing to hire additional pilots.

“Normally, we would start a new relationship with the management team by discussing how we can work together collaboratively to advance our mutual objectives going forward. However, Cargojet management wasted no time in demonstrating their unwillingness to be a productive partner in the airline’s success and left us no choice but to fiercely defend the rights of ALPA’s newest pilot group,” added DePete.

“Cargojet pilots sent a resounding message to their management that they wanted a pilots’ union who would fight for them and protect their interests, such as challenging management’s recent attempts to water down the federal rules governing pilot rest requirements,” said Tim Perry, president of ALPA Canada. “Not only will we continue protecting the careers of pilots and their collective agreement, but we will also aggressively pursue the reinstatement of those 23 pilots.”

FMI: www.alpa.org