As a result of WestJet’s acquisition of Sunwing, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ordered that on November 30, 2024, ALPA is recognized and certified as the bargaining agent for pilots working at WestJet and at Sunwing.

However, as discussed more thoroughly below, the Sunwing pilots are placed into a separate structure that is independent from the WestJet pilot group until the Sunwing pilots have transitioned over to WestJet.

ALPA is a unique labour union. In addition to being the largest pilot union in the world, it is pilot-run and staff-supported. We believe that our pilot-led, staff-supported structure built on the local autonomy of pilot groups acting together on behalf of our industry is, hands down, the only choice for pilot groups.

Your union representatives are fellow Sunwing line pilots. These representatives will form the Sunwing Master Executive Council (MEC), the coordinating body that represents Sunwing pilots within ALPA. Please note: under ALPA’s governance structure, the Sunwing MEC is distinct and independent of the WestJet MEC, and answerable to the Sunwing pilots.

Your pilot representatives are fully supported by an aviation- and labour-focused staff in ALPA’s offices in Canada and the United States.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ruled that the existing Sunwing collective agreement between Unifor and Sunwing would be extended for one year from November 30, 2024. Now that ALPA has been appointed as the bargaining agent for the Sunwing pilots, Sunwing pilots will continue to work under their current collective agreement, and ALPA will administer and enforce it and assist with day-to-day issues. Put simply, ALPA will take over any ongoing grievances and any other matters currently pending between the Sunwing pilots and management. Remember, ALPA is a pilot union run by pilots and supported by long-term dedicated staff who solely focus on pilot issues.

As such, your ALPA Sunwing MEC pilot representatives will be assisted in supporting you by ALPA’s Labour Relations lawyers and advisors, retirement and insurance specialists, economic and financial analysis professionals, and communications professionals.

Union dues represent the fee paid by members to support ALPA's activities on your behalf. ALPA dues are 1.85% of your gross income. More information will be sent out about your dues at a later date.

Approximately 50–75 percent of your dues will remain within your local pilot group, depending on the amount of dues you generate, to be used as the Sunwing MEC wishes (e.g., Pilot Unity Building events, family events, grievance meetings, swag, etc.). The remainder goes to your representatives’ support system: the ALPA staff in Canada and the United States, which includes pilot assistance, retirement & benefits specialists, legal, and representation resources as well as aviation safety and security experts.

In addition, ALPA provides a life insurance policy to all Canadian members that fly for participating airlines. Additional life insurance and other optional programs such as group auto/home insurance and critical illness insurance are available as well. ALPA also has a strong network of peer support representatives, and the Pilots for Pilots program aids members and their dependents who fall victim to natural disasters.

Please review the ALPA Constitution & By-Laws for income exempt from dues (see Article IX). The vast majority of ALPA workers are in fact unpaid volunteer pilots, like you, who serve as elected board members and committee representatives. Moreover, dues are also tax deductible. Read more on dues from the Canada Revenue Agency. 

ALPA is a democratic union organized with pilot members driving decision-making from the bottom up. It is a pilot-run, staff-supported union.

Now that ALPA is your representative, your current Unifor local representatives have been named the Sunwing pilot representatives. They are fully supported by an aviation- and labour-focused staff in ALPA’s offices in Canada and the United States.

Here's how it works:

• Each MEC is given primary responsibility for determining its relationship with management, making decisions about its contract and bargaining goals, and is given discretion over dispute resolution and contract administration. ALPA assigns professional staff to work with and advise local leaders, but your pilot representatives make final decisions.
  
  
• At a national level, ALPA is governed by: the Board of Directors, the Executive Board, and the Executive Council. In Canada, the ALPA Constitution and By-Laws also provides for the Canada Board that is made up of three Canadian national officers and the MEC chairs of all Canadian pilot groups.  This body’s jurisdiction focuses primarily on articulating all ALPA positions with Canadian institutions and to develop specific Canadian positions on issues of national interest to Canadian pilots.
  
  
• The Board of Directors (BOD) is the largest group, and it has the greatest authority. It consists of the local council representatives from every ALPA local council—approximately 225 pilots in total. It meets at least every two years and is responsible for setting the Association's course, modifying (when necessary) the governing documents, and electing national officers.
  
  
• The Executive Board is the second largest group, and its authority is second to the Board of Directors. The Executive Board is made up of the MEC chairs from each airline—so it presently has 42 members. It meets at least twice a year to make sure that the BOD's decisions are being implemented and to consider certain significant decisions reserved to the Executive Board in the ALPA Constitution & By-Laws and other policies.
  
  
• The smallest group, the Executive Council, is charged with overseeing the administration of the union, which includes such things as establishing and overseeing the budget and making day-to-day interpretations of ALPA’s governing rules. In addition, the Executive Council makes recommendations to the Executive Board or Board of Directors for final decision. The Executive Council currently has 16 members: four national officers, the ALPA Canada president, and 11 executive vice presidents elected from “election groups” described in the ALPA Constitution & By-Laws.
  
  
• The process for selecting executive vice presidents has changed many times over the years as the membership and needs of the Association have changed. Under the current structure, each airline with more than 4,000 members or $10 million in annual dues elects one executive vice president. Smaller U.S. airlines are placed in one of three election groups, and each of those groups chooses a single executive vice president. Smaller Canadian airlines choose a single executive vice president.
  
  
• In the portion of the ALPA Constitution that describes executive vice president elections, the letters A, B, and C are used to designate the different groups from which executive vice presidents are chosen—A for the largest carriers, B for the other U.S. carriers, and C for the Canadian carriers. The letters are just that—letters. They’re not grades or designations of importance.

Under Section 37 of the CLC, a trade union, including all of its union representatives, is bound to provide a duty of fair representation to all employees it represents. Oversight of this duty is provided by the CIRB that hears cases involving the duty of fair representation.

Your ALPA Sunwing representatives will have the ability to legally and collectively represent the Sunwing pilot group as a whole. In addition to the protections that Association members have contained within the Canada Labour Code, your representatives are also bound to the ALPA’s Code of Ethics and Constitution and By-Laws.

Issued to all ALPA members, the “orange card” contains contact information for the ALPA Worldwide Accident/Incident Hotline, which connects members to immediate support and professional assistance. This critical service is one of the fundamental reasons for ALPA's existence. If you are involved in an aircraft accident or incident, you are entitled to and will receive extensive professional legal and technical representation. The hotline is staffed 24/7/365 by knowledgeable experts who have extensive experience in aircraft operations. They will provide you with guidance on how to proceed and, if necessary, immediately dispatch a team of legal and technical experts to assist you. An ALPA accident investigator will be assigned to the TSB investigation on your behalf.

Companies often say they will look after you in the event of an accident, but the end result can be quite different. ALPA is completely committed to supporting your needs, and the protection it offers continues—even in the unfortunate event of your death, protection will be extended to your estate.

No.  Members' dues are not used for political donations in Canada or the United States.  How ALPA spends its funds is determined by the members and outlined in its Constitution and By-Laws. When you become a member of ALPA, you become a decision maker as to how ALPA spends its money.