Executive Council Statement

On the Service of Capt. Tim Canoll

The AFL-CIO Executive Council recognizes the distinguished service of former Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) President Tim Canoll.

Capt. Canoll, who flew commercially for Delta Air Lines and as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, led ALPA with distinction and determination.

Prior to being elected president, Canoll served in various union leadership roles, including representing ALPA during Delta’s 2005 bankruptcy.

As president of ALPA, he worked relentlessly to protect his profession from unfair foreign competition, including flag of convenience schemes and bad international aviation agreements that threatened the jobs and rights of his members. Canoll was a vocal and effective advocate for safety and security standards that he knew must be applied to all segments of the aviation sector. He also pushed our elected officials to invest in our aviation infrastructure and air traffic control system and stood with all transportation unions to make the case for broad infrastructure investment. And Canoll never forgot the benefits of a union contract as a powerful tool to maintain the highest labor and safety standards in the United States and the global aviation industry.

As a vice president and an active participant in the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), Canoll believed in TTD’s mission to influence and advance a broad transportation policy and investment agenda. When the Jones Act came under attack in Puerto Rico, Canoll stood with maritime unions in solidarity. He offered his expertise and support to rail union members when Amtrak hired a CEO out of the airline industry.

Most recently, he brought vision and leadership to the AFL-CIO Commission on the Future of Work and Unions, serving as chair of the Transportation Sector Committee and offering insight into tough issues like automation and the changing nature of work.

Capt. Canoll served his country and the labor movement with honor. We wish him well in his next endeavors.