Third Annual Global Pilots’ Symposium Delivers Pilot labor leaders from
around the world gathered in Dublin, Ireland, today to discuss the aviation
industry’s most pressing issues, including strategies and tactics to best
address three core union fundamentals: advocacy efforts, negotiations, and
communications.
“We formulated solutions at today’s symposium,” said Capt. Don Wykoff,
president of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations. “We
brought a lot of ideas to the symposium in the past. But quite frankly, just
bringing those ideas to the room isn’t quite enough. This year, we armed pilots
with the tools and techniques they need to advance the piloting profession.”
This year’s symposium changed formats a bit from a pure
idea exchanging environment to hands-on breakout sessions with concrete
deliverables on how pilot groups around the world can get in the political game,
implement initiatives to maximize negotiations in a pattern bargaining
environment, and best communicate a targeted message to both internal and
external audiences.
Capt. Randy Babbitt, senior vice president of labor relations at Southwest
Airlines, served as the keynote speaker for the event. He discussed the many challenges
he has faced in the aviation industry through the various roles – as a pilot, a
union leader, a consultant, the former administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration, and now in airline management.
The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations, along with the
global pilot group alliances of the Associations of Star Alliance Pilots, the
Oneworld Cockpit Crew Coalition, and the SkyTeam Pilots Association, hosted the
third annual Global Pilots’ Symposium. For more coverage, don’t miss the May
issue of Air Line Pilot. |