Air Line Pilot Magazine January-February 2026

Unity Is Our Strength

When I meet with new ALPA volunteers, I always give them one key piece of advice: We’re in this together, so it’s important to connect with fellow volunteers at other pilot groups. Building these connections allows us to share lessons learned, exchange ideas, and strengthen our collective knowledge. While we’re 42 separate pilot groups, our strength is that we’re one union. What may seem like a new issue for one volunteer or pilot group has likely “been there, done that” for another. By collaborating and sharing best practices, we negotiate stronger contracts, remedy grievances more effectively, solve issues, and build more unified pilot groups.

Each January–February issue of Air Line Pilot highlights the state of our pilot groups. By sharing the successes and challenges of the previous year, and outlining priorities for the coming year, we contribute to the culture of collaboration that this administration has fostered since taking office three years ago. By being familiar with each of our pilot groups, volunteers are more able to offer support and guidance regarding the similar challenges and opportunities on their properties. When we work together, we deliver better results for everyone.

Collaboration is key to our success as a union. As we celebrate the 95th anniversary of our founding later this year, it’s never been more true that our unity is our strength. Our commitment to being “One ALPA”—more than simply individual pilot groups—makes us a force for safety, security, and strong representation.

With “One ALPA” as a guiding mission, we focus on breaking down barriers among pilot groups so that we can lift each other up. Because of our solidarity, when one pilot group faces a critical moment, we all show up. When the Air Transat pilots reached the 11th hour of contract negotiations with the possibility of a strike looming, pilots from across ALPA were in Montréal, Qué., supporting Air Transat pilots in their quest to secure an industry-standard contract.

Due to the efforts of the Association’s Strategic Planning Committee, the Strategic Preparedness and Strike Committee, and pilot group collaboration, ALPA’s members have experienced significant success at the negotiating table over the past few years. The earlier and more effectively we plan and display our solidarity as one union, the better the results achieved for our members.

In the coming year, we’ll use this solidarity to double down on our support for our members who’ve been in negotiations for far too long, including those at Air Transport International, Breeze Airways, FedEx Express, Frontier, Kalitta Air, and Western Global. We won’t let up until they secure the strong contracts they’ve earned.

Our unity remains fundamental to ALPA pilots at airlines facing headwinds, including Canadian North, Flair, Kelowna Flightcraft, Spirit, and Western Global. Furloughs, layoffs, and bankruptcy can be isolating, but our members never face these challenges alone.

Pilots are the backbone of their airlines, and at every airline with ALPA pilots, our members are committed to their company’s success. In return, we expect airlines to recognize our contributions. Through our unity, we demand respect.

As a union, we’re driven by two primary missions: providing strong representation and ensuring the safety and security of our skies. “Schedule with Safety” is more than ALPA’s motto; it’s the guiding principle the Association was founded on almost 95 years ago.

Starting with this issue of Air Line Pilot, throughout the year, we’ll be honoring our history and our successes with the “ALPA Wins” series. We reflect on our wins not to rest on our laurels, but to set the tone for our work. It’s imperative that we continue our efforts for the next generation of pilots. Our expertise, our professionalism, and our dedication—when flying the line and working with our industry and government partners—have made commercial aviation the safest form of transportation in North America.

As we enter our 95th year as a union, it’s with a clear mission: to advance our profession—together. By being unified and speaking with one voice as the world’s largest pilots’ union, we’re powerful, and we get the job done.

In the January-February Issue: