September 25, 2006 at 12:00 AM
President-elect Leslie Dias wishes to announce the appointment of Ron Smith as National Representative for Jazz Technical Services. As National Representative for Jazz Tech Ron will assist the Bargaining Committee as they administer the collective agreement and seek out opportunities to improve working conditions for the membership.
Ron Smith has been involved in aviation since 1972 when he became a licensed private pilot. He has maintained an active interest in aviation ever since. In 1978 he was accepted for training as a Flight Service Specialist. Before becoming a Flight Service Instructor at the NAV CANADA Training Institute in Cornwall Ontario (1986 to 1995) he worked operationally in Fort Nelson BC, Tuktoyaktuk NWT, Whitehorse and Burwash (YT).
He has been active in the Air Traffic Specialists Association of Canada (ATSAC). ATSAC, now CAW Local 2245, represents 850 Flight Service Specialists working in more than 80 locations across Canada. Ron has been a strike captain, a regional director, vice-president and president of ATSAC. He was instrumental in ATSAC merging with CAW Canada.
In 2001 Ron joined CAW Canada as a national representative in the Toronto office. He is a member of the Canadian Air Regulation Advisory Committee (CARAC) and has been involved in many issues of Canadian Air Regulations changes since 1991. As well, Ron was on the Advisory Committee to NAV Canada’s board of directors and was active on the committee that resolved the issues of the Automated Weather Observation System. Ron Smith is also the national representative for Pilots at Morningstar Air Express.
"I’m very pleased to have a person working with the Jazz Technical Services group who has a vast technical knowledge of air regulations as well as the overall air transportation industry. Ron’s going to be a huge asset to the people of Jazz Tech", said Leslie Dias.