Creating some form of Canadian Pilots Association
Hello Everyone,
As many of you know, for the past three years, I've been fighting the issue of Foreign Pilots that certain airlines in Canada employ every winter as Temporary Foreign Workers. At the time I engaged in this campaign, I thought this practice was limited to Canjet and Sunwing in the 705 (airline) sector. I have since learned that all Canadian Operators have recourse to Temporary Foreign Worker Pilots, from Flight Schools, to 702, 703 and 704 Operators. It seems that every year, hundreds of Foreign Pilots are given Temporary Work Permits to come to work in Canada and take jobs away from Canadians. This is especially prevalent in the helicopter industry.
I think that this practice must stop.
The Canadian aviation industry is well represented by all sorts of Industry associations which all lobby the government in favor of their particular sector of the aviation industry. These interests are often opposed to those of the Canadian pilots, like the recent crew rest and flight duty time legislation, that the aviation industry (the employers) mostly opposes and lobbies against.
There is no one that lobbies or does anything to defend the interests of Canadian professional pilots. Unions do a very poor job and many Professional pilots are not even represented by a Union.
Often, pilots are afraid to speak out because their fear consequences such as blacklisting from being hired.
Is it not time that some form of pilot association be created to defend the interests of all professional pilots in Canada ? Flight instructors, corporate pilots, charter pilots, crop dusters, water bombers, helicopter pilots, commuter pilots, and airline pilots. Anyone who has a CPL or an ATPL. An organisation created and run by people who are representative of the above pilots groups and who could speak for them, and defend their interests ?
How do we go about creating such an Association that would encompass everyone, look after everyone and whose sole mandate would be to defend the interests of Canadian commercial pilots and speak on their behalf as a strong and unified group ?.
Such a group would need thousands of members to be credible and have any teeth. (over 5000 members at least)
Where to begin and how ?
Open to Comments and suggestions
Gilles