I know that the bush pilots (at least here around Campbell River) were unionized at one time.
Can anyone tell me what the history of that was? And what happened that there is no longer a union available to bush pilots?
Bush Pilot Union History?
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Kirsten, quick and dirty: I worked on the Spit back in the 70’s At that time we had 2 companies Gulf Air and Island Air, We were both members of CBRT&GW (Railroad) Airwest in Vancouver was Teamsters, and Trans Provincial in Prince Rupert was Operating Engineers. At the time of the Jim Pattison takeover of everything on the coast, the employees of the amalgamated Gulf-Island Air had to decide which union to have represent us around 1980-81. We chose the CBRT&GW. It was the end of pilot unions on the coast It was also the end of the good logging times on the coast too, so they both died together. At one time the working conditions for pilots was really good, but we had to keep a lot of deadwood too to the detriment of the companies. I was involved with the union for a few years while I worked there, I am sure there are other folks here which have some info for you.
Keep up the good fight
Keep up the good fight
Rule #62 "Don't take yourself so damn seriously"
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Ahhh yes Air West and the Teamsters Union.Airwest in Vancouver was Teamsters,
I was chief pilot at Air West in 1974/75 and I can truthfully say that the Teamsters did jack chit for the pilots as far as operational safety was concerned.
When I took over the chief pilot position Air West was the poster child for how to circumvent the regulations and it took me many months to finally turn the company around safety wise.
The union did nothing that I can recall to enhance safety and TCCA was totally innefective in oversite and enforcement of the regulations...like they still are....
The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no
After over a half a century of flying no one ever died because of my decision not to fly.
After over a half a century of flying no one ever died because of my decision not to fly.
but I think they were more hard core than CBRT. They sure left us out in the cold the CSsThe unions were attached to the companies - I was with Island Air and it got bought out by a guy who changed the name to Haida Air and then sold the whole thing to Pattison. I left before that happened but the unions died then, as Ducapo says. One day I did 40 take-offs and landings doing the 'north' (to Kyoquot) and 'south' (to Gold River) scheds. out of Tahsis - you could do a dozen or more stops in Tahsis inlet alone - they're all gone now. The whole area is dead to logging now. I think we used to get 12¢ per landing? Made more money then than I did years later doing part-time. The money has never been as good in floats since.
There was no safety involvement from the unions at all, except you could refuse unsafe work and not be fired.
I worked for another company who had Operating Engineers. Without the union we would have been screwed, as the company played favourites and did all sorts of shenanigans that the union stopped.
"Companies get the union they deserve."
There was no safety involvement from the unions at all, except you could refuse unsafe work and not be fired.
I worked for another company who had Operating Engineers. Without the union we would have been screwed, as the company played favourites and did all sorts of shenanigans that the union stopped.
"Companies get the union they deserve."
"What's it doing now?"
"Fly low and slow and throttle back in the turns."
"Fly low and slow and throttle back in the turns."
Operating Engineers was a good union, they would be there for negotiations, and they had expertise at that, they also knew that they knew FA about aviation and let us decide the issues. I heard at the time ( 80s) that the Teamsters tried to call the shots and tell the pilots at Air BC what they wanted. Somebody may want to correct me there. In the end what killed the union at TPA was the pilots making their own deals and not standing together. I always thought the union had been good for the company too, pilots didn't have to fly with snags and weren,t afraid to put them in the log.The non-union outfit next door was another story . Money was good then, took a predictable dive when the union died. I remember the union having to defend the deadwood on occasion too, makes me think an association is a better idea. Association was being discussed by the older boys when I was a dock hand in the 60s and to date has got nowhere, maybe this generation will get it together but it doesn't seem likely does it?
bronson - you can be in a hurry or you can be in an airplane, but don't ever get into both at once
Island Airlines in Campell River and Airspan Flight in Vancouver Harbour were both bought out by a couple guys named Keith Stephenson and Roger Latta in 77 or 78. They were both accountant/business guys with no aviation background. Airspan had it's name changed to Haida Airlines and moved from the east end of the harbour by the PNE to a barge between Airwest and Westcoast. In late 79 or early 80, Pattison bought up Airwest, Island, Haida, Gulf, and TransProvincial, and amalgamated them all into AirBC. All he wanted was the sched licences, and soon after sold off the charter operations, giving birth to Harbour Air in Vancouver, and some others in Campell River and other spots on the Island and central coast.
When Pattison took over he called everyone together in the spring of 1980 and spelled out his plan. Amalgamate a fragmented, marginally profitable or money loosing group of small airlines flying nothing bigger than a twin otter into a regional sched airline. He demanded, and got, pay cuts, layoffs, and significant downsizing with the threat that if it wasn't profitable within a couple years he would shut it all down and walk away. I left within a month or so. AirBC soon started replacing wheeled Twin Otters with Dash 7's, then 8's, and then 146's and grew into a successful regional airline.
The small charter operators that sprang up in the wake of AirBC were pretty much, if not entirely, non-union operations formed by or hiring a lot of the float guys that didn't want to, or couldn't, make the transition to the multi-IFR world and didn't like the idea of dronning back and forth, harbour to harbour, all day long in a twin otter on floats. If I recall correctly, at one point when AirBC was flying 146's, their senior pilot was still VFR float flying the Victoria - Vancouver harbour run.
When Pattison took over he called everyone together in the spring of 1980 and spelled out his plan. Amalgamate a fragmented, marginally profitable or money loosing group of small airlines flying nothing bigger than a twin otter into a regional sched airline. He demanded, and got, pay cuts, layoffs, and significant downsizing with the threat that if it wasn't profitable within a couple years he would shut it all down and walk away. I left within a month or so. AirBC soon started replacing wheeled Twin Otters with Dash 7's, then 8's, and then 146's and grew into a successful regional airline.
The small charter operators that sprang up in the wake of AirBC were pretty much, if not entirely, non-union operations formed by or hiring a lot of the float guys that didn't want to, or couldn't, make the transition to the multi-IFR world and didn't like the idea of dronning back and forth, harbour to harbour, all day long in a twin otter on floats. If I recall correctly, at one point when AirBC was flying 146's, their senior pilot was still VFR float flying the Victoria - Vancouver harbour run.
The funny part of that Airspan buyout was when the deal closed at 12:00, a bunch of old Airspan guys jumped in most of the aircraft and flew away with them! The new guys didn't do their due diligence properly and most of the airplanes were privately owned by the Airspan owner (O'toole?). I forget his name. Left the 'new' company with 2 or three of the worst a/c.
Janice? Was that the name of the dispatcher on the barge? I'm having a senior moment, having spent the morning out in the sun.
Janice? Was that the name of the dispatcher on the barge? I'm having a senior moment, having spent the morning out in the sun.
"What's it doing now?"
"Fly low and slow and throttle back in the turns."
"Fly low and slow and throttle back in the turns."
It was a long time ago, but as I recall we had two Beavers, 3 185's, and a 180. Most of the airplanes changed over to Haida, but we did downsize a bit. Airspan was nothing more than a money pit hobby business/social club paid for by Jim O'Toole's wealthy wife to keep him out of trouble. Most of the airplanes sat idle on the ramp most of the time. KS tried running it like a business intended to make money, and the fleet was downsized to what was actually needed, as low as one Beaver and 2 Cessna's. But, because he also owned Island, he was able to move airplanes between Campbell River and Vancouver as business demanded. After the move to Coal Harbour, we maintained a fleet of 2 Beavers, 2 185's, and a 180 most of the time. Overall, Island/Haida was operating about 25-30 airplanes split between Campbell River, Thasis and Vancouver.
Janice Cann was the dispatcher at Airspan. She left to go to law school. As for airplanes flying away unexpectedly, I don't really know if the couple that left were known about in the buyout deal or a surprise to KS. Certainly, a non-pilot buying the airline was not well recieved by the work force and the popular belief was that he was doomed to fail because he didn't understand aviation, Jim got the better of him, etc, etc. I suspect the rumour of him being taken by O'Toole was pure speculation fuelled by the underlying fantasy that the pilot owner outsmarted the businessman.
KS and his group had the right idea in what they were trying to do, but they just didn't have the resources to pull it off. His vision was essentially the same as what Pattison eventually succeeded in doing. But, he only made it as far as integrating Island and Haida, and upgrading to a TO on the Vancouver/Campbell River sched.
Janice Cann was the dispatcher at Airspan. She left to go to law school. As for airplanes flying away unexpectedly, I don't really know if the couple that left were known about in the buyout deal or a surprise to KS. Certainly, a non-pilot buying the airline was not well recieved by the work force and the popular belief was that he was doomed to fail because he didn't understand aviation, Jim got the better of him, etc, etc. I suspect the rumour of him being taken by O'Toole was pure speculation fuelled by the underlying fantasy that the pilot owner outsmarted the businessman.
KS and his group had the right idea in what they were trying to do, but they just didn't have the resources to pull it off. His vision was essentially the same as what Pattison eventually succeeded in doing. But, he only made it as far as integrating Island and Haida, and upgrading to a TO on the Vancouver/Campbell River sched.
