IFALPA Negotiations Seminar

Course Description & Objectives

The course is designed as an introduction and guide to Industrial Negotiation in the airline industry from a pilot's perspective. It is suitable for both newly-elected representatives with little negotiating experience, as well as more experienced representatives that wish to further develop their skills.

It is an intensive course and attendees should also expect to work in the evenings. The first two days are for instruction and on the third day the participants will be put into teams, either representing the management or the union, and will conduct a real time simulated negotiation with a strike deadline against another opposing team.

The simulation is based on extensive briefing material on the history of the company and background to the dispute, different confidential instructions are also given to both the management and union sides, which have just enough overlap to make an agreement possible. The simulation will be observed by one of the instructors who will give a critique at the conclusion of the exercise.

Many of the current leaders of Member Associations are past participants of the course, which has been running for close to twenty years, and it enjoys an excellent reputation with very positive feedback.

Course Outline

The course covers:

• Negotiations Overview
• The Role of Union Leadership
• Strategic Planning
• The role of economic and financial analysis in negotiations
• Consensus Decision Making
• Negotiations Administration
• Union leadership in negotiations
• Industrial action and IFALPA Mutual Assistance
• A financial overview of the industry

Andrew Shostack

Andrew joined the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) in 1996 in the Representation Department’s Phoenix, Arizona, office initially as a Contract Administrator and then as a Senior Contract Administrator where he served as a staff negotiator and represented pilots involved in various disputes, counseled pilots on contractual, disciplinary, operational, medical, and insurance issues and worked closely with elected pilot leaders.

In 2006, Andrew was promoted to supervisor in the Representation Department’s Virginia office, and in 2015 was promoted to Assistant Director.  In 2022, Andrew was promoted to Director of the Representation Department where he oversees a team of over eighty staff professionals while coordinating the department’s work in organizing, negotiations, contract implementation and enforcement, strategic planning, and retirement and insurance matters. This work also involves preparing for and negotiating pilot agreements, assisting negotiating committees and pilot leaders in strategizing for and managing negotiations, interacting with government conciliators/mediators and other officials, and lecturing at ALPA and IFALPA seminars.

Andrew holds both a juris doctorate degree and a master’s in labor and employment law.

David Stephens

David has served as a Senior Industrial Officer with the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) since June 2006. His primary role is to assist pilot bodies negotiate collective employment agreements with their employers.

However, pilots occasionally need personal assistance and representation in under/non-payment matters, workplace grievances, or disciplinary matters. David assists individual members achieve the best possible outcome. This includes representing members through direct dialogue with employers and in advocacy before the Australian industrial/employment tribunal.

After graduating from La Trobe University, Melbourne, in 1982 with a degree in Legal Studies, David began training as a Psychiatric Nurse. Between 1987 and 1989 he was a local union representative at the hospital he worked in. This opportunity eventually led to a full-time position as a Union Official.

His first position as an Organiser was in 1989 with the Health and Community Services Union. In 1993 David was promoted to the position of Industrial Officer and then Senior Industrial Officer in 1996. In 1999 he was elected Assistant State Secretary and then Assistant National Secretary in 2001. In addition to his industrial roles and management of the Union, he also held the communications and media portfolios until 2006 when he was appointed to his current position with the AFAP.

With three decades of experience in industrial negotiation and advocacy; having negotiated innumerable agreements in the government, non-government, and private sectors and, specifically since 2006, across all sectors of the aviation industry; David has delivered workplace organising and industrial negotiation skills training to many workplace Union representatives.

He is currently studying Law at Southern Cross University in Australia. However, his most significant and proudest achievement, according to David, is his four adult children, and his grandchildren.

Christian Laulund

Previously an electronic engineer, Christian Laulund started his aviation career in 1989. He has been employed as a pilot by SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) since he started flight school but flew as a Captain for Etihad Airways during a leave of absence from 2005 to 2012. He is currently an A320 Captain at SAS, operating out of Oslo. 

Captain Laulund has served as a board member at NF (Norwegian ALPA), as Chair of NSF (Norwegian SAS-pilots), and as Chair of SPG (SAS Pilot Group) - an umbrella organization for all SAS pilots in Scandinavia.

Christian started his union work at the age of 13 when he organized his first labor actions as a newspaper-delivery boy. Born into a politically active family, he was raised to understand the importance of developing careful listening and diplomatic skills. Captain Laulund has been involved in numerous negotiations and labor mediations including two strikes, the longest lasting a week and entirely shutting down all SAS flights.

In addition to his practical experience, Christian has attended several negotiation courses with focus on negotiation psychology and strategy. He is currently responsible for the National Training Program for union representatives at NF and is a member of the NF Negotiation Team.

Captain Laulund is most proud of his contributions during the establishment of SPG. SAS has four pilot unions in three different countries, and unifying them into a single voice was paramount in conflicts with the Company. Their struggles continue, but in unity, the pilots have a much better chance of success.

Christian believes that understanding and listening to our management counterparts is vital to finding solutions both parties can agree to. Mutual respect, understanding the psychological principles, and good communication and diplomatic skills are essential in a successful negotiation.

Christian and his wife live outside of Oslo and have two grown-up daughters. He loves skiing and spends as much time as possible at his cabin in the Norwegian mountains; fishing, hunting, and using his snowmobile.

TBD

Dutch Airline Pilots' Association (Vereniging Nederlandse Verkeersvliegers, VNV)

Dellaertlaan 61, 1171 KZ
Badhoevedorp

+31 (0)20 449 85 85

www.vnv.nl