Well, here's the campaign letter for Jay Heppner:
To the Men and Women of ALPA:
This weekend we celebrate the pride and spirit of working men and women not only from the ranks of aviation professionals, but from all whose labor makes our country great. Clearly labor is the heart, soul, and lifeblood of that which makes our way of life the envy of the world. I thank every one of you for the work that you do each and every day. I am truly humbled to be a member of our profession and a member of our union that represents those professionals.
If so honored to be elected the next President of the Air Line Pilots Association, I pledge that I will work tirelessly to organize and to promote the goals of organized labor. It continues to be important to promote labor within our industry as well as externally.
Labor Day is a day to celebrate our triumphs and also to reflect on what is yet to be done. Specific to our union, it is clear to me that many more pilots can be, and should be, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association. Whether a carrier is large or small, cargo or passenger, north of the border or south, we have similar goals and objectives that are more effectively achieved collectively. We should not be acting as individual MECs or even as an individual union. Absent us joining and working together, the might of corporations, especially in this ruthless airline business, would have us working for greatly diminished wages and working conditions with little recourse when aggrieved. Imagine the force of a collective ALPA.
I am a proud ALPA Pilot whose union perspective for the Air Line Pilots Association and for labor in general was forged during the United Airlines strike in 1985 and reinforced through my airline’s bankruptcy. My own personal and constant reminder is the ALPA Battle Star which I proudly wear every day.
I started my aviation career when I graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1976 and then served as a pilot in the Air Force and later in the Army National Guard. Outside of flying, I played, captained, and coached rugby all over the world for over 17 years. My military, sports, and ALPA experiences taught me similar lessons – that while we all may have individual strengths, we are stronger and we win when we work as a team.
It was a rude awakening when I was asked by management soon after being hired to cross a picket line after completion of 727 Second Officer training. The seed of understanding trade unionism was planted when I saw the pilots who were many years senior to me risking their jobs and potentially their retirements by standing up for what was right. They were risking their livelihoods for me and for many junior pilots like me by striking against a management-imposed B scale. I met these courageous pilots in their homes and at Family Awareness events. They invited me into their families, and I will never forget what they did for me – someone they had never even met or seen before.
During those dark days, the value of our union became clear so I soon decided it was time to give something back to the future of ALPA. I started as an Airport Liaison Representative in Safety, then volunteered as a Local Council Communications Chairman, Local Council Officer, MEC Communications Co-Chairman, MEC Negotiating Committee Chairman, MEC Joint Negotiating Committee Co-Chairman, then eventually Chairman of the United MEC and ultimately Chairman of the newly merged United MEC.
I was able to put my leadership skills to use while guiding a Joint Negotiating Committee to consensual solutions on behalf of the 12,000 represented pilots. Later, as an MEC Chairman, I coordinated a combination of several tactics to conclude a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement. While some may purport successful solo efforts, in truth all players bring their individual strengths and roles and contribute to the strongest and best solutions. I have learned and applied the critical lesson that the team succeeds when all of the team members are led and mentored through inclusive coaching. The most recent example of that team success is when, as Chairman of a newly merged MEC, I led the effort to help form newly-merged MEC committees without regard to either airline’s previous affiliation. Together, we created a new Governing Policy Manual which combined elements of both predecessor documents. The MEC unanimously approved this collaborative effort. Outside observers to our MEC meetings have observed that it is nearly impossible to discern from the members’ debate, dialogue, and votes, any lingering trace of parochialism. We are clearly stronger when we work as a team.
I have studied and examined many leadership styles throughout the years. I have learned that while there are many ways to approach the same problem, the optimum solutions come from working together, listening to others, developing and motivating individual talents, reaching consensus, and thinking smart rather than emotional. As President, I will continue that approach while including all your representatives in the process who speak on behalf of their constituents. This is the path this union needs to move into the future for the benefit of all 51,000 members and those we hope to bring into the fold. ALPA can be better, we should be better, for the benefit of all.
Fraternally and respectfully,
Jay Heppner
[email protected]
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Thoughts?
Carl