WestJet MEC PIREP Podcast
A series of podcasts for WestJet pilots brought to you by the WestJet Master Executive Council. Keep up to date and stay informed about your association and listen to what is happening with the union.
WestJet MEC PIREP Podcast
Episode 51 - ALPA Canada Interview
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MEC Chair Jacob Astin and Vice Chair Barret Armann introduce a DART YouTube Q&A episode, highlight recent ALPA Canada board meetings in Winnipeg, and point pilots to an MEC Telegram-exclusive SkyTeam Pilots Association video from Amsterdam. This episode features an interview with ALPA Canada President Tim Perry, who outlines his WestJet/ALPA background, ALPA Canada’s role within ALPA, support for bargaining through political and regulatory advocacy, efforts that helped shelve a proposed global fatigue-regulation exemption, and the expansion of aeromedical and pilot assistance/mental health peer-support services alongside ALPA Canada’s growth and emphasis on member engagement.
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Good day everyone It's Jacob Astin here. I'm the MEC chair. I'm with Barrett, the MEC Vice chair And, uh, we're filming just a quick introduction here with a few questions from the Dart YouTube channel to answer. And then we're gonna be going over to a interview with ALPA Canada President Tim Perry. Um, how you doing today, Barret?
Barret Armann:Good That was really good Few days of meetings in Winnipeg at the Canada Board, I think that was uh, very lucrative. Brought up a couple of issues that we had that have been ongoing in terms of resourcing and requirements needed Uh we also found out that some other properties also had the same request. So those are being actioned, which is really good.
Jacob Astin:22 properties in Canada. with ALPA, uh, over 12,000 pilots. Big group Yeah. Uh a few weeks ago we're also hopefully everybody has a chance to have seen the, uh, sky Team Pilot Association video that went out as a telegram exclusive a few days ago. Um, that's on the MEC Telegram channel so you could, uh, check that out. That's when we were in, uh, myself and Vignesh, the MEC Secretary Treasurer Were in. Amsterdam talking, uh and meeting with the Sky Team Pilots Association uh, and various people from Delta and Korean and KLM Air France. So that was really great Uh, you could check that video out. As I said, if you need a link to the MEC Telegram it is at the bottom of all our MEC emails. Yeah right at the bottom it shows a link. So it's not the all basis chat. Which everybody kind of thinks is Telegram
Barret Armann:Rumor network?
Jacob Astin:The Rumor network. The rumor network. Uh but it's actually an MEC only Um, place that we put out a lot of information. We're gonna be putting out a lot of exclusive, uh information on that channel, so hopefully everybody can sign up for that. Uh, we're gonna answer a few questions, uh now for, uh, that came in through the DART channel for the YouTube DART channel. If anybody has any questions for us to answer, you can just go to the dart section and look at YouTube and then submit your questions there. I'm gonna blast right into it. I have a question. And I'm gonna read these verbatim just as they're written.
Barret Armann:Sure.
Jacob Astin:What really stood out to me in the contract comparison was how far below our peers we are on FO pay as a ratio to Captain Pay So I was alarmed to see only Captain Pay shown on the executive summary today, given the extended time we're spending the right seat here at WestJet. Shouldn't we be prioritizing the FO percentage of Captain Metric on CA 3 negotiations? A hundred percent.
Barret Armann:Mm-hmm.
Jacob Astin:You know it it it's it's a hundred percent an issue here. Um fo wage percentages at WestJet are a massive, uh, issue, uh, because we have essentially very little to no upgrading right now And we have FOS spending considerable amount of time, uh, in the right seat here. Um. Not only that but if you look at the graphs of FO to Captain Pay after six years here. they actually go down They actually increase the gap. between FO and Captain Pay. So I have a graph and we're gonna get, uh for those watching this on on YouTube, uh, we are going to superimpose a graph of that over top right now. Um, just to be able to kind of illustrate how that is very much not industry standard. Um, so it is a hundred percent a issue. Because I had three pages there and I was the one that largely did a lot of the work for that, uh, executive summary document along with the negotiations committee. I really wanted to highlight that 30 year chart, and that's right there and it shows what happens when you show up at WestJet as a pilot and you spend 30 years here, what is your total compensation? And even though we are behind in our Captain pay for sure, the FO pay is considerably behind as well. And then that Is a large part of where our 30 year compensation Is significantly below our peers. So a hundred percent it's an issue. Yeah.
Barret Armann:And I think there'll be a resolution in uh ca three and how it's addressed in ca three is, uh in process.
Jacob Astin:A hundred percent. You had a question
Barret Armann:I do Uh so one of the latest questions that came in is regarding reporting to the CSAs if you're late. Uh so the union's position is pretty clear Uh the CSA is not your manager Deputizing uh agents the union believes is completely inappropriate. Uh you're responsible to your direct manager. Engaging with the CSA is very much at your own risk. That is the answer I've got for that question. That was proposed.
Jacob Astin:Uh, thanks Bar. Um, we had another question I just completed the survey for CA three negotiations. I didn't see much on the commuting section of the contract. With pilots being displaced to different bases, there are more commuters than ever. Should this not be an area to seek input for improvement on a hundred percent. Um we now have more commuters as a percentage than I believe we've ever had at WestJet with our bases, uh, and pilots being displaced to other bases. Um, with the survey that just closed.
Barret Armann:Mm-hmm
Jacob Astin:That was more of a macro survey. We, we went into reserve a little bit and there's a couple sections like that but for the most part it was our first macro survey to just kind of get a lay of the land of where pilots are at and where we can drill down further. A hundred percent We're currently planning at least four surveys That was just the first one. So when more service came out over the negotiation cycle we're gonna be drilling down into commuting and benefits and reserve more and these types of issues. Just to make sure we understand exactly where the pilot group's at. Um, so things like commuting will be asked in future surveys.
Barret Armann:Perfect. Another question I've got uh on the East Coast some pilots apparently are uh being asked to ride the brakes moving airplanes from one gate to the next gate, uh, after a duty cycle finishes Uh so the union position here again is very clear Uh break writing pay not in the collective agreement Uh no pay no work There's nothing in the collective agreement that covers this Uh and this should be brought up to your MLO immediately Uh and if not resolved then directly to grievance To finalize that answer. No pay. No play.
Jacob Astin:Thanks Barr. Um second last question then last question from me. Um with the recent message from Alexis discussing the financial impact to all airlines across the globe with the war in Iran, has the union received any indication or inclination of layoffs coming in the near future? I found Alexis's message to be quite vague, but of course discussed the many flight cancellations ahead. So yeah, WestJet has announced um they're going to be reducing some, uh. Frequencies about five and a half percent of our overall network in the medium term here just as they go through. Um, the spring we've received. Just to be clear we've received no communications from the company regarding layoffs. None. So all indications are that the crisis in Iran is in its later stages. Mm-hmm. And we all hope that, um, that is concluded soon. Um, oil may go higher as there currently are oil constraints and jet fuel constraints. Most, most specifically in Asia and Europe. But we are monitoring this as a union closely with the company and we will be advising the pilot group if we hear anything more.
Barret Armann:A hundred percent. One of the last questions we've got uh and we've actually seen a number of darts on this, uh in terms of hotels. So some of the hotel issues we're finding uh cleanliness, hotels aren't ready uh when the crew arrives Uh possible safety issues door locks no telephones, et cetera. Food, hotels that don't meet the collective agreement So there's a couple of avenues here Uh if the hotel doesn't meet the collective agreement, uh, you're put in a hotel inappropriately, uh that would be a grievance So obviously you call the company immediately The MLO uh. You discuss it with them to look for resolution If there's no resolution, then it goes to grievance. If it's a safety issue and cleanliness is a problem or uh, you get food poisoning, you know, the food, the quality of food is inappropriate uh that lives with health and safety. Uh, and we would like you to report it as such because obviously that committee that's been stood up and now, uh, growing, uh, would like to take these issues on to resolve them quickly.
Jacob Astin:Thanks Barrett. So that's the end of our questions for the q and a. If anybody has any questions for us, please do submit those via Dart. And now we're gonna go over to an interview, uh, that we filmed with ALPA Canada President Tim Perry. Perfect. We're in Winnipeg on the, uh, 15th of April and we just finished two days of ALPA Canada board
Tim Perry:meetings
Jacob Astin:Yeah. That we're Congratulations on two Two busy days. of work. Yeah. Um, Tim, you're a WestJet captain yourself. Um, can you give pilots who might not know you, a quick sense of your background and how you ended up as Alpa Canada president?
Tim Perry:Oh, wow. Yeah. Um, I've been a WestJet pilot now since 2010, so that's 16 years. Um, and, uh, I'm from Winnipeg. I mentioned that because there's a pretty strong labor roots in Winnipeg. Uh, I think that may have something to do with it. Um, but I got involved, um, really pretty early with the WestJet organizing campaign. And, uh, and, um, played a role, played my role played in, uh, in certifying WestJet with ALPA. And, uh, that was kind of the beginning of, uh, the ride that I currently find myself on. Um, I, uh, I served as the WestJet MEC vice chair for a time. And, uh, and then around, uh, 2018, uh, I ran to be the ALPA Canada president. Um, for a term that began on, uh, January 1st, 2019. Um, so that's kind of the really quick, uh, version of, uh, what led me to this. I've been doing it now for about seven, uh, seven years and a bit, um, which is a while. It's kind of, it's kind of crazy to say it that way. Um, but it's been, uh, pretty amazing. Um, you know, people ask me if I like it. I, I really do. I love it. I mean, obviously there's the, it has its days. Uh, but even on the, on those days, uh, it's like, you know, amazingly meaningful. Um, but I would say, um, yeah, I mean WestJet is, I'm still a WestJet pilot. I don't fly much love to fly a little more. Um, but you know, it's kind of what, uh, got this whole thing started was being, uh, part of WestJet.
Jacob Astin:And you don't even know the questions coming
Tim Perry:No, I don't. Yeah.
Jacob Astin:It's gonna be like
Tim Perry:going in cold.
Jacob Astin:Going
Tim Perry:Going in cold.
Jacob Astin:in cold.
Tim Perry:Well, as long as you ask me about ALPA Canada Stuff. It kind of is my life, uh, these days. So, it should be should pretty good. it. Should be all right. Yeah
Jacob Astin:I ask these questions and I don't read all that well, I'll that, you know, naturally I'd almost rather be answering them, right?'cause it's, it's, it's,
Tim Perry:no, no, you, I mean, the question you're great at ask, uh, asking questions. Um, I'm used to asking them too. That's the, like we do the ALPA Canada podcast and I'm like, Hey, this is Tim Perry, uh, doing the ALPA Canada podcast and joining me is whatever. So, like, I'm used to that more. Um. I'm used to answering questions in sort of like a media format, which is entirely different and not as good. This is better, but, uh, uh, This is, this is cool. It's great. uh, it's a great medium. Uh, and I like it and I like that you're doing it.
Jacob Astin:Do think this is the first time and the only time you're gonna be on camera with me, Tim?
Tim Perry:No, no, The, I mean, the, uh, um, I definitely invite the, uh, I, I, I would be, I would welcome invitations, future ones because, um, I think it, uh, you know. Pilots engage in all different ways. People engage in all different ways. It's, uh, it's, it's worthwhile to, you know, exercise all those ways. And, uh, engagement is really the sign of a healthy union. Um, I'd take a engaged, pissed off pilot as, uh, over an apathetic one any day,. . It's, uh, and, and sometimes when I get, uh, um, you know, emails from from people who are mad and they're not necessarily mad at me, sometimes they're, sometimes they're mad at something else and it, it's, you know, gets directed our way. That's, uh, um, that's the burden of leadership and, and, uh, I, whenever I think about that, I just think, well, Uh, I'm privileged, uh, to, to be able to do that, to do the work that we do. Um, and, and when, when someone engages, uh, then, you know, we've already won. I believe that I hold that pretty close. Yeah,
Jacob Astin:it's a good point because when I was an LEC rep in Toronto, uh, and, uh, anybody you know, would be watching this video would know who, who I'm talking about. And there's many people that are, that maybe disagree with what ALPA doing or what I'm doing or you know, the process or, or, or even the results. And that's, that's, totally fine. But I'm like, you, I actually welcome that disagreement and that as long as it's in good faith. And we could have that disagreement and, but we could have that discussion because that shows that they're engaged for sure. And they might not agree with everything, and that's totally fine. Yeah. Right. And I think It's with all the work you and I are doing mm-hmm. Sometimes it can be frustrating when you, you, you show up to the flight deck and nobody knows who you are maybe or, or what you're doing or even what Alpa Canada does and which is why we're doing this video. And, and
Tim Perry:yeah.
Jacob Astin:I think it's nice when, when, you know, I don't mind when people disagree. I much prefer that if they're, they're actively engaged.
Tim Perry:Absolutely. Like, uh, Just this meeting, we, we had the most pilots ever represented around a single table, uh, in Canada today and yesterday. Um, we had, uh, you know, good discussions about, you know, policy changes and, you know, we could go into that maybe now or maybe another time. But like, uh, you know, when someone objects to something, um, like that's a sign of a healthy union. Someone said to me later, like, I hope you're not mad that I, you know, uh, you know, criticized, um. One of the resolutions or spoke against it. I'm like, um, uh I said, please understand that none of this is personal. And, uh, far from being angry, uh, I appreciate it. Partly because you're engaged, partly because these questions actually draw other people into the discussion. Um, and, uh, you know, engagement's a bit like a, a snowball. It really, you know, gains, uh. You know, picks up speed builds, and, uh, and we benefit from that. You know, we people, it's a complete, uh, you know, mischaracterization of the truth. I would say this, uh, when people say that agreement is, uh, is is a, this is a sign of Unity, it's, it, it's, that's not quite it.
Jacob Astin:And I think that's why I had to put my hand up and say no to one thing today and be the lone person saying no to something. Mm-hmm. You know, you know, because that's totally fine
Tim Perry:too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. It is. We, we kind of get used to sometimes, uh, you know, consensus and, and then it strikes us as. Uh, it stands out when, when somebody's, um, you know, not in a court. Uh, and, uh,
Jacob Astin:it's almost un Canadian.
Tim Perry:Yeah. You know? Um, but it's also the whole, the whole governing body actually, you know, whether it's a ALPA Canada or MEC Or, uh, you know, maybe a business table. Um, they're, they're all actually designed to draw out opinions. Like, you know, when, when people are named to a board, you know, sometimes I like to use business analogies because we, we, uh, engage with businesses all the time. Airlines themselves are businesses as of course. And so, um, but people are named to the board to bring their diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Um. Yeah. And there's a reason that you don't name six people with the exact same resume to, uh, to a board. Uh, why would you, you, you're setting yourself up for failure. Uh, imagine the blind spots that you're gonna have to deal with, uh, and that you'll encounter. Uh, so governing bodies are, are much like that. Uh, you know, we get our diverse tables for, uh, through different processes, um, democratic ones in our case. Um, but you know, we had, uh, pilot groups of. Uh, 62 people, uh, sitting next to, uh, pilots, of represented pilot groups. Uh, you know, 2,500 in the case of WestJet, 5,500 in the case of Air Canada. These are rough numbers, but, um, you know, of course they would see things differently. They should
Jacob Astin:hundred percent. So for pilots who don't follow union politics closely, what does ALPA Canada do day to day and how does it fit into the bigger ALPA structure?
Tim Perry:Yeah so, um, all of that is contained within the Constitution of bylaws and, uh, I could break it down like this. Um, ALPA Canada is the, uh, is a governing body within ALPA. So there's that. Uh, and also it is the, uh, is the organization that articulates all ALPA. International, uh, positions, uh, within our country and our institutions and our stakeholders. And, uh, that includes, uh, the regulator. It includes the government, it includes all sorts of other industry organizations, anyone doing business. And in Canada, we represent ALPA here. Um, but additionally it says that, uh, we, uh, develop and articulate, uh, issues of importance to Canadian pilots. Uh, because sometimes those are not the same. Sometimes they're divergent. Sometimes, uh, you know, there's a Canadian issue that, you know, is a uh, takes place here. Um, maybe it's different because of our regulatory framework. Maybe it's just because the airlines based here, you know, we have a different geography, uh, we have, um, you know, some cultural differences and that can lead to, you know, Canadian pilot priorities and. Um, and then we, we bring those forward and, and also, uh, advocate for them and, and, and represent them within the country.
Jacob Astin:So like one question I hear from members regularly, uh, Canadian pilots pay alpa dues. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And there's a feeling that a lot of those go to Ottawa and Washington. Like what do Canadian pilots get back for their investment in Alpa Canada specifically?
Tim Perry:Mm-hmm. Um, so. Uh, I think that, uh, people think, uh, of a union oftentimes as the, the organization that bargains their contract, and that is absolutely true. Um, , I like to think of it in a way that maybe takes one step back because, um, know, as everybody knows, ALPA is a labor organization, but it's also a safety organization. And so everything that you know, happens to a pilot in their professional life. Is obviously, uh, influenced a great deal, probably most of all by their contract, but it's also influenced by their regulatory environment. Uh, it's, uh, influenced by politics and we can't escape either of those things. So, uh, ALPA Canada is the, uh, is the, is the part of our union, um, that tries to advance, those elements of a pilot's professional life. So the, basically the environment in which contracts are bargained and also. The regulatory and political environment in which, uh, you know, we exist as pilots.
Jacob Astin:Yeah, that makes sense. Uh, west step pilots are heading into what's going to be a significant round of contract negotiations, as you know. Mm-hmm.
Tim Perry:Mm-hmm.
Jacob Astin:What does Alpa Canada bring to the table to support that process?
Tim Perry:So to support bargaining like so ALPA Canada, uh, if you look at the Constitution and the bylaws, uh, doesn't directly do bargaining, and it supports bargaining in, in ways that, um, tries to basically influence not just the Labor Code itself, uh, but the political environment in which contract negotiations always take place. Uh, WestJet is a, uh, is a big major airline in Canada. Uh, and I say that uh, because it's true by just any measure. And, um, when you are an airline of the size of WestJet, uh, air Canada, uh, there are political implications to the bargaining people. People take notice, politicians take notice. Parliament takes notice. The population takes notice. The news takes notice when. WestJet pilots are in bargaining, especially, uh, if that, uh, bargaining is heading for a potential, you know, dispute. So, um, our job is to protect that environment, make, make sure that, uh, that the collective bargaining can happen, uh, and that it stays free from government interference, and that the labor code, uh, is, is such that it supports free and fair collective bargaining. By that I mean, um, you know, processes that, uh, keep the, the, uh. The playing field level
Jacob Astin:Makes sense. Flight duty time was on the agenda this week. Where does Canada stand on that file now? And is there anything WestJet pilot should be, should be paying attention to?
Tim Perry:Yeah. Um, well. It was absolutely on the agenda this week. And the reason it was is that, uh, uh, we've had some pretty, um, challenging, uh, engagement with the regulator, transport Canada and also political engagement on the file. And, uh, in order to, you know, tell that story properly, we gotta go back to, uh, basically 2010, Uh,'cause prior to 2010, we did not have science-based. Fatigue regulations. We actually had the worst, uh, flight and duty time regulations in the whole world. And, and, uh, when I say that, I'm not exaggerating and I'm not joking, they were that bad. Um, and so we went through a 10 year consultation process that led to, uh, the flight and duty time regulations that we have right now. And, uh, they are, uh, imperfect, but they are, uh, rooted in science. Um, What's happened recently is there's been a real concerted effort on, uh, on the part of employers, operators, and their industry associations, ATAC, NAC, uh, as well as NATA, uh, the Northern Air Transport Association, um, as well as individual lobby efforts, um, on, on, uh, parliament Hill to suspend or erode those regulations that were hot, hard fought. Um, and so. The, the pressure has taken the form of, uh, of influencing what ultimately became a proposed exemption, and it was going to exempt globally, meaning all operators from some very pivotal foundational flight and duty time regulations. So for the last year, uh, we've been fighting, fighting back against that. Um, it was, uh, it was. Timely that it came up in this meeting because the report to the Canada board was actually that after, uh, a lot of effort including, uh, contracting sleep scientists. And going over a lot of the things that initially led to the formation of these regulations. What, uh, was really defending the science itself, um, in, from what was being improperly interpreted and improperly applied, uh, by the lobbyists and in our view as well, transport Canada. Um, so we have, uh, met with all levels of government. Like, uh, we've lobbied it on Parliament Hill. We've spoken to the, uh, regulatory affairs folks at, uh, transport Canada. We've talked to the deputy minister, and finally we've had meetings with the ministers and the minister staff responsible for this file. And, uh, I'm happy to say, uh, it looks like that idea, that very bad idea of, of. uh, Entering into a global exemption, or issuing a global exemption, I should say, has been shelved. Um, and, uh, it allows us to turn our attention to advancing the flight time, duty time regulations and, and making some improvements to them. But, um, it has been a really tough year because of the, uh, the really, really strong downward pressure on the regs from industry.
Jacob Astin:So, it's good news though. The fight never ends.
Tim Perry:The fight never ends. Uh, and that's, uh, that's the story of, uh, politics. It's the story of Ottawa. Uh, it's one of those things that, um, you always have to be present, uh, in order to, um, defend your interests, otherwise someone else will speak for you.
Jacob Astin:So there was several aeromedical resolutions that came up for a vote, uh, in the last couple days. Can you give pilots a plain language sense of what Alpa Canada's aeromedical support actually looks like in practice?
Tim Perry:Yeah. Uh, great question. Um, so. You know, the aeromedical, uh, part of our union, um, has been an evolution, um, in the United States, there is a, is a company, it's called AMAS Uh, don't ask me what it stands for, uh, but it is their, uh, aeromedical support, system. Um, it doesn't work in our regulatory framework. It's incongruent. It's incompatible with, uh, with, uh, our regs. It's, it's really customized and, uh. For the FAA and it works quite well there. Um, so we've been trying to create, uh, you know. Excellent world class support for pilots who, uh, need aeromedical support, uh, either to return from work, from, uh, from an illness or an injury, uh, or to receive expert advice about how, uh, any life. Event, um, or potentially a medication the list goes on, might affect their ability to work as a pilot and hold a medical. Um, so we're looking at, um, kind of a suite of services, uh, that can be offered from coast to coast, uh, with, uh, CAMEs and specialists. Uh, and it's, uh, the idea is. it's, uh, you know, accessible through our pilot assistance program. It lives under our pilot assistance umbrella. Uh, but the idea is that, uh, that suite of services is, you know, ready, uh, understood, accessible, clear, um, to, to all our members.
Jacob Astin:Speaking of pilot assistance, uh, pilot Assistance Canada was also discussed, uh, this week. Mental health and peer support isn't something that pilots always talk about openly. What came out of that conversation and why does the program matter?
Tim Perry:Um, I think that, you know, just by you , asking the question just by you asking that question, um, if anyone pauses to think about it. Uh, health matters. Mental health is part of health. Pilots have to be healthy, uh, in order to go to work. And, um, so we want to take a holistic view towards supporting someone's health. And we wanna make sure that the stigma around mental health, uh, is addressed. Um, the best way to address that is by talking about it, making sure people are aware of resources, making sure people know how to access it, uh, access them. And it's, uh, you know, we just have come a long way in society about acknowledging the importance of, of mental health and good mental health and good mental health hygiene. Um, and. As pilots, we haven't been at the forefront of that. In fact, uh, I think, uh, mental health has been something that, um, we as an industry, as pilots have failed to discuss, uh, out in the open, uh, that has real consequences. We all know people who have suffered, uh, and, uh, from mental illness. And, um, You know, when, when, suffering happens, um, I think we have to acknowledge that, um. Needless suffering is unacceptable. and, uh, it's all of our job to, uh, make everyone healthier and happier. Or, and, and in a nutshell, uh, we're in, within the realm of pilot assistance in Canada, we're, um, trying to, you know, build out the services from what our traditional pilot assistance services to, um, you know, uh, something that's acknowledges our, our growing in a broader understanding of mental health and the needs that, Uh, everyone has including pilots, of course.
Jacob Astin:I really appreciate your answer there, Tim. Um, if you could leave WestJet Pilots with one thing, one reason to feel good about what Alpa Canada is doing on their behalf right now, what would it be?
Tim Perry:Um, well, like I said, I'm, I'm really happy that we've, uh. Beaten back the attack on our, our flight time, duty time regulations, uh, fatigue regulations, are safety regulations. We have to hold the line on contracts and we have to hold the line and always advance safety. Um, you know, we've, uh, all, uh, born witness to a tragedy in New York. Uh, and so it, uh, it reminds us, um, that, we all have a promise to uphold, which is when you, uh, as a pilot leave to work that. Um, you're gonna come home safe and well. And so, uh, we've been drawing attention not just to the fatigue regulations, but all safety regulations and, uh, and it's, it's kind of, uh, times like this that, uh, make us redouble our efforts.
Jacob Astin:You know, I've asked all these questions. Mm-hmm. What do you wanna fill in? What do you wanna talk about?
Tim Perry:What am I proud about? Um, uh, you know. Hm. Uh, one of the things I'm really proud about, honestly, is that when I started as Alpa Canada President, we had, uh, you know, 5,500 members. uh, before I was ALPA Canada president, before WestJet joined ALPA WestJet was 2,500 members and eight carriers. Uh, we do well to, uh, come together. And, uh, in my opinion, um, you know, the growth that we've had, the fact that we're now 22, uh, pilot groups and nearly 14,000 members. And really we represent pilots from, uh, every type of operation, uh, airline medevacs, uh, we, you know, offshore surveillance. You know, we've expanded what it means to be a understood as a professional pilot. Um, and it's allowed. Pilots from coast to coast to coast to think and act strategically together. To me that's the greatest expression of unity, is when you get to think and act and advance your pilot's interests together and, and we're doing that. Um, but you know, unity isn't something that you can like, you know, put in your pocket. All it is, to me is an opportunity to do more and it's a actually, uh, and it that with that opportunity to do more. In my view is a responsibility to to do more. It's what I think drives people to get involved in, uh, union work in any and all capacities. Uh, but it's a, it's a duty. It's a, it's an opportunity. It's a responsibility and it's an honor, but it's all of those things and, uh, it's sort of doing it together is, uh, the best way. It's also the most meaningful way to do the work.
Jacob Astin:Well, I appreciate that, Tim. Thank you very much. After a busy week, uh, taking the time, um, for the WestJet pilots and everything you do, thanks a lot.
Tim Perry:Thanks, Jacob. Cheers. My pleasure.