WestJet MEC PIREP Podcast - Episode 53 - SPSC Summit

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:01][music] >> Well, good afternoon, Russ. Good afternoon. How are you doing? I'm doing good. Good to see you again.

[00:00:12]>> You, too.

[00:00:14]We have just finished our SPSC family awareness conference here in Toronto.

[00:00:19]It was actually really nice. The Air Canada pilots uh lent us their offices for the past couple of days.

[00:00:24]We're in their uh sound room right now filming this podcast uh for the entire membership. I think it was really exceptional what we saw.

[00:00:31]Uh but there is a couple of elephants that came out in the room in the first day that should definitely be addressed.

[00:00:37]Now, I know SPSC uh as we prepare uh towards bargaining 2026, we need to have unity within the group.

[00:00:44]And I know that there was a fracture because well, both of us came together.

[00:00:49]I came from Sunwing. You're original WestJet. Yeah.

[00:00:53]But everybody in the room agreed that this needs to end and we need to work together. We need to move on.

[00:00:58]And as we move towards collective bargaining, there is simply one message.

[00:01:03]And that's one pilot group, one goal, end of story.

[00:01:08]And so, I know in the campaign letter that I sent out, I said start every day with a handshake in the flight deck, share stories, get together. The infighting is over.

[00:01:17]I'm moving on. You're moving on.

[00:01:19]Everybody in the committees that I met are moving on and we're all working together really hard.

[00:01:23]Which is really good. Agreed. What we have to understand is we are not the enemies.

[00:01:30]Out there, there is an enemy and that's where we need to focus.

[00:01:35]What are a couple of the takeaways that you got from this week? Uh incredible amount of groundwork has been laid.

[00:01:41]Yeah.

[00:01:41]>> Uh we have from behind the scenes is it's kind of like looking at the iceberg. 9/10 of it is underneath the water. So, to the pilot group, it may not seem like a lot is going on. And from prior to my volunteer time to now, I can say that when you're on the inside looking out now, you have a different perspective on on what that looks like. So, as the as now the SPSC chair and and kind of being being a part of the process, uh what we're seeing is all of the work that's getting done behind the scenes to prepare to get ready for what CA3 is going to look like. So, from the end of CA2 into CA3 and all of the preparations that are taking place, I'm proud I'm proud of what we've done so far and how we've come together as a group. And to address the elephant in the room, um there are still rifts on the line that we that are evident, uh but I'm from what I see and from what I'm being told through our through our volunteers on the line, the rifts are not as big as what some may make them out to be. Uh we have a lot more in common than um anybody truly kind of gives it credit for.

[00:02:55]So, when we come together and we fly the aircraft, we start start our day with a handshake and and we we uh we follow through with our procedures and our SOPs as pilots do. Um that's the first unifying piece. It's it's it's our occupation. It's what we do.

[00:03:11]Um so, everything else is noise and static around us. And the more that we cannot give that oxygen and feed into that, the less we're helping others uh divide us uh and to keep us fractured and splintered. So, I would say that the groundwork what we've achieved, I'll just just go back to May 1st where we uh we met, we uh we took care of our strat plan. So, the strategy plan is in place for CA3. Um I I saw the the unity in the room and the the agreement in the room.

[00:03:41]Um you could you could tell that energy was there. Everybody's on the same page.

[00:03:45]>> Everybody's on the same page. In fact, they were standing.

[00:03:47]>> [laughter] >> Yeah. Which is good. And everybody that supports us behind the scenes, too. You can't can't forget the people um that uh make all of the pieces fit together and assist us in that process. So, the strat plan was was a huge piece, May 1st. Um now we're coming off the tail end of this, May 11th, 12th. We just finished our internal SPSC uh meetings, and that kind of helps us drill down on on the really important uh parts that we have to focus on the to make sure we get all those pieces right.

[00:04:20]Yeah. Yeah. So, those are the big things that I took away from um from in that. And the the rest of it, the hurts and the pains, we have to acknowledge uh that have occurred within our within our group. Um they're healing. Uh we are seeing evidence that they are healing. The the groups are coming together, and uh I'm really proud of that. The cuz there it takes every person who shows up to work remaining professional, choosing to be that consummate professional on the line, and uh putting all those things aside and doing the work that needs to be done. Yeah. Let's build together.

[00:04:55]We're done with the separation.

[00:04:56]>> One pilot group, you know, one one goal.

[00:04:59]The and uh that's kind of what we're coming away from these meetings on. Uh unified in that Yeah.

[00:05:06]and where we're headed.

[00:05:08]That's true.

[00:05:09]And there was that presentation that we had, I think, during the lunch hour there, >> [snorts] >> uh which I think will you unite sort of not just the pilots, but all West Jetters.

[00:05:20]I think so, too.

[00:05:21]>> I can't wait for that to go out. I think that's going to go out this fall. Yeah.

[00:05:24]Uh and then away we go together. It is an eye-opener. It is.

[00:05:27]>> Not a lot of people know Nope. that particular component of of how that all how how the sausage gets made. That's right.

[00:05:34]>> So, that that will be interesting to to see to see that kind of come out. Yeah.

[00:05:39]Yeah.

[00:05:39]>> Yeah, of course. Yeah.

[00:05:41]One other [snorts] thing I wanted to touch on is uh this group's worth.

[00:05:46]They're worth a lot.

[00:05:48]And I want to make sure that they know that.

[00:05:50]In fact, they're the hardest working pilots in the industry.

[00:05:54]We work more days and more hours for less and less each time than anybody else.

[00:06:00]And I think that's a focus as we move into fall negotiation.

[00:06:05]It can kind of come across as kitchy.

[00:06:08]Like everybody says it, overworked, underpaid, blah blah blah. That That what we have to focus on is is We forget like we're we're an incredibly skilled group of professionals >> We are. that are asked to to take on a lot of responsibility in the run of the day. And because we are we're zeroed in, we're trained like every 6 months we're back in the sim, we're we're we're going through we're ticking all the boxes to to make sure that we're prepared. Um we're you know, we're reading all our memos and we're we're doing all the things that are asked of us and it's it's easy to not remember how it is we got here.

[00:06:47]And And the professionals that we are on the line.

[00:06:51]And it really it was through hard work.

[00:06:53]Years and years of experience. And I think everybody needs to understand that if there aren't two pilots in the flight deck WestJet doesn't fly.

[00:07:04]I was at a Canada board uh just 3 weeks ago talking to the big three. We were one of them there.

[00:07:09]And ALPA represents pretty much every pilot in the country now.

[00:07:13]And that's a lot of power we have.

[00:07:15]And all of us rowing in the same direction.

[00:07:18]That's powerful. Yeah, it is. Yeah, and it takes more than We have an incredible group of volunteers within our within our organization that make all of these bits and pieces work. Um but we can't forget this group, this pilot group Yeah. is the biggest part of that that of the puzzle. This This is it. We we get to choose Yeah. uh how this all goes down. We get to take ownership of all of the pieces um of this and uh small things can make a big difference.

[00:07:51]Small choices can make a big difference.

[00:07:54]Choosing for the like you said, choosing the handshake in the morning. That's right.

[00:07:57]>> I think that's a that's a huge piece of it. Uh put your best foot forward. We're all We're all professionals.

[00:08:01]>> it together. Yeah.

[00:08:03]I agree. Any final comments? Uh lots of final comments. Um as professional pilots, I think it's um uh our responsibility now uh that uh we remain professionals on the line and uh if something unexpected happens, uh it doesn't matter if it's on a flight deck or in our or in our uh union.

[00:08:24]Um our responsibility is to remain calm, work the problem as a crew, you know, treat it like we're in the simulator.

[00:08:33]Um identify the problem, come up with a solution as a crew together, and then enact the the solution. And if you have any other information that comes in, uh information that presents itself at that time, then we reassess and we come up with a new plan. So, I would say uh do what pilots do, you know, remain professional on the line in all of your conduct, uh whether that be on the flight deck, uh with your crews, uh on time or off off time, and uh uh on chat groups, same thing. Yeah. Uh let's just be be professionals. And thank you for being being professionals because that's what it's going to take to uh push this across the line. Yeah.

[00:09:14]And I mean, look at your shirt. What does that say? ALPA. ALPA. That's one union Mhm. for one pilot group.

[00:09:20]>> Mhm. All the pilot groups in the country now. Yeah. So, let's work together.

[00:09:23]Absolutely.

[00:09:24]>> That's the whole purpose. I agree.

[00:09:26]Now, cuz this was the SPSC uh conference and planning, etc. I uh happened to bring uh a bag of tools that I that I use sometimes.

[00:09:37]If you wouldn't mind, uh we can go through them. Sure.

[00:09:41]Is not the alpha tool kit? No. No. This is my own personal tool kit.

[00:09:44]>> Okay.

[00:09:46]>> [snorts] >> So, people that know me know that I hate loose bolts.

[00:09:52]And I want to make sure they're tight.

[00:09:53]Loose bolts it's not going to work.

[00:09:56]So, I always bring my wrench.

[00:10:00]Another tool I find super effective for those pesky nails that just don't go in this bad boy right here.

[00:10:07]It's pretty precise.

[00:10:10]No problem. Gets the job done.

[00:10:12]>> Mhm.

[00:10:13]But, I always find to get that nail to go in you got to cut through the first.

[00:10:22]This gets the job done. All right.

[00:10:26]>> Cut the crap.

[00:10:30]>> [laughter] >> And when all else fails, I really actually hate cuz it usually causes a lot of damage.

[00:10:37]But, it always gets the job done.

[00:10:39]My personal favorite the sledgehammer.

[00:10:43]Use this it's a sure win every time.

[00:10:47]Last That's the last one you want to It's the last one.

[00:10:51]When it just doesn't go in Use that one.

[00:10:54]>> job done.

[00:10:56]Russ thanks for joining me. It was a great time.

[00:11:00]Super excited about Bargain Hunt 2026.

[00:11:02]>> Pleasure. I'm looking forward to every bit. Right on.

[00:11:05]Thanks.

[00:11:10]>> [music]