TWU ATD Insider December 2009

Vol. 5, No. 4 - Published Quarterly Visit us on the web: www.twu.org 

December, 2009 

Official Publication of the Transport Workers Union of America - Air Transport Division 

Complete coverage of 

TWU's 23 Constitutional 

Convention available in 

the Sept./October issue 

of the TWU Express. 

Check us out online: 

www.twu.org 

Happy Holidays 

Time to Change the Game for Airline and Railroad Workers 

In this cross-post from the Huffington Post, Edward Wytkind, 

President of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department, 

describes why the deck is stacked against airline and railroad workers 

when it comes to union elections. 

The deck is stacked against airline and railroad workers when it comes 

to union elections. That’s why airline CEOs are working so hard to defend 

current election procedures that count all workers who sit out elections as 

“no” votes. 

Americans are accustomed to elections where a simple majority of those 

voting decides the outcome—whether they’re voting for PTA president 

or U.S. senator. Not so for airline and railroad workers—who must first 

ensure that turnout exceeds 50 percent. How can we justify imposing 

higher turnout standards on airline and railroad union elections than we do 

in elections for the highest office of our land? We can’t. 

Let’s take a moment to consider typical voter turnout data. The 2008 

presidential election had the highest turnout in decades; nearly 57 percent 

of this country’s eligible voters participated. While our presidential 

elections manage to draw just over half the country’s eligible voters, midterm 

elections bring out less than 40 percent. In fact, in every mid-term 

election since 1930 the national turnout was 

(Con. page3) 

In This Issue 

2 - Directors Corner 

3 - Time To Change 

4 - Local 540 Signs Contract 

4 - Retiring Soon? 

4 - Deadline for A&P Paper 

Certificates 

5 - Local 556's Digital 

Communications 

6 - Local 513 Brothers 

7 - WWC Meeting and Elections 

8 - Sky Ball VII Largest Ever! 

9 - "Spirit of DFW" 

10 - Around the ATD 

11 - FMLA - Finally 

Approved for F/A's 

11 - TWU Members Attend 

Mid- South Leadership 

Institute 

TWU ATD Insider December 2009 1 

12/8/09 9:48:56 AM

AIR TRANSPORT DIVISION - TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION OF AMERICA, AFL-CIO 

ATD 

Directors Corner 

Bobby Gless 

Assistant ATD Director 

Situational Awareness 

Most likely you’ve heard the 

term before, perhaps during 

a S.W.A.T. type television 

show or a news report on the specifics 

of a daring military mission. Military 

experts would explain “situational 

awareness” as the ability to gather the 

facts of a threatening situation swiftly 

and accurately, consider these facts to 

assess your surroundings and develop 

an operational plan - all while adjusting 

your resources and confronting the 

threat to complete the mission. Simply 

put, situational awareness is the act of 

being aware of your surroundings and 

planning tactfully and accordingly to 

address the situation. 

I recently heard the term while 

listening to FAA Administrator 

Randolph Babbitt speak at a DC 

luncheon and it hit me; that term is 

easily applicable to the U.S. airline 

industry and its “mission.” A few airline 

executives have a grasp of the specifics 

in their ever- changing environment, 

the “threat.” They adjust resources 

and constantly assess competition and 

options, but oftentimes without regard 

to the workers who run the day-to-day 

operations they oversee. 

The Local 234 SEPTA strike in 

Philadelphia and the closing of a major 

aircraft maintenance base affecting 

Local 530 members in Kansas City, has 

made it clear that some companies no 

longer stand by their word, or have 

the ability to stand by their word. They 

continue do what is best for the bottom 

line with no consideration for their 

workers. When companies behave this 

way, we have to act accordingly to the 

situation. 

For the past few years, those who 

have been in negotiations realize that 

standard collective bargaining rules 

no longer apply. We’ve seen this with 

situations like Southwest Airlines’ 

requesting its dispatchers to ferry 

aircraft to El Salvador for maintenance 

and AMR’s demands for cost neutral 

collective bargaining agreements, while 

rewarding top executives with bonuses 

as the company continues losing money. 

As labor, our situational awareness is 

heightened by the fact that our economy 

has not stabilized and that keeps us in 

an unfavorable position. The airline 

industry has never experienced such 

economic turmoil in its history. We 

are doing all we can politically and at 

the bargaining table, to fight for our 

members during this lengthy recession. 

Many of you have contacted me 

directly to voice your disappointment 

with AMR’s contract negotiations; I am 

frustrated too. We have to continue with 

the mediation process until the time 

comes when we can ask the National 

Mediation Board (NMB) for a release. 

As we move closer to resorting to such 

action, I want to use this opportunity to 

explain the NMB process. 

Under the Railway Labor Act, the 

union or company sends notification 

of an interest to modify the Collective 

Bargaining Agreements (CBA) under 

section 6, so that both parties can 

engage in discussion regarding pay, 

benefits and work rules. During that 

process either party (or both by 

agreement,) is free to request an NMB 

mediator be assigned to assist the 

parties in obtaining a mutual agreement 

that then must be ratified by the rank 

and file members. 

Either party can request that they 

are at an impasse in the event that an 

agreement cannot be reached. Once 

an impasse is declared, the NMB offers 

binding arbitration to both parties. If 

this is rejected by either party, then a 30 

day cooling off period goes into effect 

and the countdown begins. 

At this point, the union and company 

need to decide what they are prepared 

to do in order to reach an agreement. 

After the 30 days, the company is free 

to impose an agreement of its own and 

the union is free to impose “self help.” 

Self help can be defined as an all out 

strike or strategic pinpointed attacks of 

a company’s operation. 

I have monitored the lengthy AMR 

negotiations and am briefed regularly 

of all situations that influence our 

potential agreements. Our Negotiations 

Committees are dedicated to being 

alert and responsive to the changing 

dynamics of the industry and factor that 

into our plans in order to get the fair 

and equitable contract our members 

deserve. As airline employees we 

are very familiar with the need for 

situational awareness. In many aspects 

of our lives we need to stay attune to 

our ever changing landscape, constantly 

reviewing our game plan and prepare for 

the worst and best case scenarios. 

I wish you and your family a safe and 

happy holiday season. 

LM2 

ATD INSIDER December, 2009 


12/8/09 9:48:57 AM


Time to Change (Con.) 

below 50 percent. What happens 

to eligible voters who choose not 

to vote in our local and national 

elections? The answer, of course, 

is that they do not factor into the 

election outcome. 

The “majority rules” concept for 

elections is grounded in American 

democratic principles. But what if 

we arbitrarily assigned meaning to 

a voter who doesn’t participate? 

Imagine if not voting was tabulated 

as a vote for or against something, 

such as “every non-vote counts as 

a vote for Obama,” or conversely, 

“every non-voter must have 

intended to vote for McCain.” Not 

only would this policy significantly 

skew election results, but it would 

nullify the expressed intent and 

incite outrage among those who 

actually voted. 

Although it defies logic, this is the 

system aviation and rail workers 

must abide by for union elections. 

It makes no sense, and it is well 

beyond time for a change. That’s 

why the Transportation Trades 

Department, AFL-CIO has asked the 

Official Publication of the Transport 

Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO 

Air Transport Division 

1791 Hurstview Dr. 

Hurst, Texas 76054 

Tim McAninley 

Editor - ATD Insider 

National Mediation Board (NMB), 

the federal agency that oversees 

these matters, to reform its election 

procedures to conform to the 

norms of American democracy: the 

majority of those casting a vote will 

decide the outcome and those who 

do not vote are not counted. 

Think about this. Even when more 

than 90 percent of those who vote 

choose a union, they are routinely 

denied representation by those who 

didn’t vote. It’s a “veto by silence” 

principle at work. Other than 

airline CEOs and their lobbyists, no 

one else can defend this system. I 

wonder if some of the U.S. senators 

who are carrying the airline 

industry’s water would support an 

amendment to the U.S. Constitution 

or to the election law in their state 

that forces them to face the voters 

under such onerous rules? I doubt it 

because in most of their elections, 

they would have lost. 

Unionization in the airline 

industry has slowed in recent years. 

Why? Union-busting campaigns 

are alive and well—because the 

current election policy encourages 

and rewards employer-run voter 

suppression campaigns. For 

example, almost 100 percent of 

Delta flight attendants voted in favor 

of unionization in 2008. But thanks 

to Delta’s campaign to discourage 

its employees from voting (the 

company called it “Give a Rip” 

and was essentially instructing 

employees to destroy governmentissued 

ballots), turnout was below 

50 percent and the overwhelming 

support for a union was nullified. 

Shockingly, the Bush NMB saw no 

evil in Delta’s unlawful conduct 

and voted 2-1 to refuse to even 

investigate more than 100 charges of 

illegal interference and coercion. 

Some call our request for fairness 

an effort to circumvent the law. 

Nice try. The law does not require 

that elections be run this way at 

all. Voting procedures are set by 

the NMB, which has the authority 

to change its policies. In fact, the 

Supreme 

Court has 

said that 

the law 

does not 

require a 

majority 

of the 

entire 

workforce 

to vote 

in union elections for results to be 

valid. 

Think about this. Even when more than 90 percent 

of those who vote choose a union, they are routinely 

denied representation by those who didn’t vote. It’s 

a “veto by silence” principle at work. Other than 

airline CEOs and their lobbyists, no one else can 

defend this system. 

Airline management is arguing 

against our request, insisting that 

“the rules are being changed in the 

middle of the game” because some 

union elections may get scheduled 

on some future date. But there are 

always going to be potential or 

expected union elections. For the 

airlines, it will never be a convenient 

time to change a status quo that 

favors them so heavily. But for the 

workers, who have been facing an 

unfair standard for decades, change 

cannot come soon enough. 

It’s time to let those who actually 

come out and vote decide the 

outcome of union elections in the 

airline and railroad industries. The 

airlines are essentially arguing 

against a voting system that 

has been the law of the land for 

more than 200 years in American 

democracy. 

~from AFL-CIO Now Blog 

December, 2009 ATD INSIDER 

3 


12/8/09 9:48:57 AM


Local 540 Signs Contract 

with Hawaiian Airlines 

On November 6, TWU 

Local 540 overwhelmingly 

ratified a new four year 

contract with Hawaiian Airlines 

which will provide increased pay 

and benefits as well as profit sharing 

for members and operational 

improvements for the company. 

Local 540 represents dispatchers at 

Hawaiian Airlines.. 

“We are pleased to have negotiated 

these improvements on behalf of 

our members at Hawaiian,” said Air 

Transport Division Director John 

Conley. “In these challenging times, 

it’s refreshing to negotiate with 

a management team that shares 

our vision and commitment for 

improving the working conditions 

and standard of living of our 

members.” 

Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s 

president and CEO, commented, 

“This agreement is entirely 

consistent with the one 

overwhelmingly ratified by our flight 

attendants earlier this year, and with 

the proposals we have offered all of 

our union groups. Our agreements 

with the TWU and the AFA-CWA 

mean that we have now reached 

accord with two of the largest 

unions in the airline industry.” 

"It is our 

responsibilities, not 

ourselves, that we 

should take 

seriously.” 

—Peter Ustinov, 

British actor and writer 

Retiring Soon? 

Have Pension or 

Benefits Questions? 

Meet Chuck Laterza, TWU’s 

Pension and Benefits Specialist 

Chuck has advised many 

workers over the years, he 

knows the pitfalls of not 

planning for retirement. “Most 

people don’t start early enough, 

they think the day will never get 

here, that’s a big mistake,” Chuck 

says. Chuck spent over eleven years 

working with AMR as a Benefits 

and Pension Specialist. He has 

advised thousands of employees on 

retirement benefits, their options and 

some of their pitfalls. He can answer 

your questions regarding pensions 

(DBP,) 401k plans, medical, dental, 

life insurance and travel privledges as 

a retiree. 

Chuck now works part time 

for the TWU, advising members 

on their planning options. There 

are many different plans that you 

should be aware of, so you can make 

the right decisions before you go. 

Laterza asks that those interested 

in meeting with him please call and 

make an advance appointment. 

He is available for consultation on 

Mondays and Wednesdays from 

7:00am- 5:00pm and Tuesdays from 

9:00am – 7:00pm. To make an 

appointment call: 817- 553- 8809 office 

His office is located at 601 W. Harwood 

in Hurst, Texas. You can reach Chuck 

via e-mail at: claterza@twu.org 

Chuck can help you develop a 

retirement plan designed for 

your family's specific goals 

Paper A&P Certificates 

to Expire 

On March 31, 2008, 

a new FAA rule 

came into effect for 

mechanics. 14 CFR 65.15(d) was 

added that dictates, “Except for 

temporary certificates issued 

under §65.13, the holder of a paper 

certificate issued under this Part, 

may not exercise the privileges 

of that certificate after March 31, 

2013.” Visit the FAA website for 

verification and compliance: http:// 

www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/ 

airmen_certification/ or read the 

FAA’s WingTips Newsletter for 

more info. 

If you have already obtained the 

new plastic Airmans Certificate, 

you are in compliance with the 

ruling and no further action is 

required. 

TWU on Facebook! 

You can connect to the TWU on 

facebook at: www.twu.org/ 

facebook 

Connect to the ATD facebook 

page too by clicking the link 

under favorite pages on the left 

LM 4 



12/8/09 9:48:59 AM


Four Ways Local 556 Reaches it's Membership in the Digital Age 

By: Kyle Whiteley, Communications Coordinator Local 556 

P 

roducing effective timely communications with our membership is my primary concern as TWU Local 556’s 

Communications Coordinator. Once upon a time this would have been accomplished strictly through 

printed materials. Certainly, our local still takes advantage of this method to reach our members, but 

we increasingly rely on online and other modern communications tools to connect with nearly 10,000 Flight 

Attendants nationwide in eight different crew bases. 

1. Social Networking 

According to recent polling data released by the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C., nearly half of all 

adult internet users in the United States use social networking sites such as - Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. 

While having a strong well-designed website as a central hub is extremely important, it’s more likely that union 

members will be logging onto their preferred social networking site more frequently than the union’s website 

—but these technologies have the added benefit of driving more traffic to the union’s main online presence. TWU 

Local 556 uses both Facebook and Twitter to reach its 

membership and encourages people to visit: twu556. 

org for more comprehensive updates about important 

issues our members need to know about. 

2. Email 

TWU Local 556 uses e-mail in a variety of ways. We 

keep members informed of important happenings 

at both the local and national level with monthly 

E-Connections, or brief electronic newsletters. The 

contents are specifically relevant to Flight Attendants 

based across the country. On a broader level, Unity 

Update, the monthly supplement to our quarterly 

flagship publication, Unity is now distributed 

exclusively by email. This has saved our local 

significant time and money which can be invested on 

other projects and services for the members. 

From left: Executive Board Member Allyson 

Parker-Lauck and International Vice President and 

Local 556 President Thom McDaniel, prepare an 

electronic update 

3. Text messaging 

Pew also states that around eighty percent of U.S. mobile phone users were texting—and organizations, 

including unions, are increasingly using text messages to send important updates to their members, including TWU 

Local 556. In our experience, sending texts is best reserved for extremely urgent matters that our members need to 

quickly know about. Furthermore, it’s most effective when used in conjunction with other delivery methods such 

as email blasts and telephone robo-calls. 

4. Live Webcasts 

Certainly, the icing on the cake of modern Union communications is harnessing the power of the Internet to 

engage in real time dialogues with members via live Webcasts. Our Local recently completed its first live Webcast 

with TWU Local 556 President Thom McDaniel addressing our membership in real time, and responding to 

concerns highlighted in a recent Member Survey. Thom also answered questions sent via email during the live 

event. 

The Internet and other digital tools are vital components in modern union communications and proper planning 

can ensure your message reaches as many members as possible. 


5 


12/8/09 9:49:00 AM


Local 513 Brothers 

Left: Danny Cobb and Minister 

Kenneth Coleman 

TWU Brother Honored by 

Minister and Community 

Church 

Danny Cobb started his 

career in automotive 

maintenance with the 

United States Navy, serving 

four years as a ground support 

maintenance mechanic. After an 

honorable discharge, and back 

in the civilian world, he worked 

for several truck and automotive 

dealerships honing his skills on 

different types of vehicles. 

Danny went to work for 

American Airlines in 1989 and 

serves as a Shop Steward for 

members at Local 513. For the 

last twenty years he’s helped 

maintain AA’s fleet of automotive 

ground equipment; from tugs and 

tractors to cargoveyors and buses. 

Danny’s experience with diesel 

powered buses intrigued one of 

his fellow union brothers, also a 

member of Local 513, Kenneth 

Coleman. 

Coleman, a minister, was in 

need of a diesel mechanic to 

help repair a bus used for his 

community mission work 

with the homeless. Minister 

Coleman leads a group of 

church volunteers that canvas 

the community, providing 

transportation for many 

homeless souls, bringing 

them to church service and 

Bible studies. Kenneth and 

his church volunteers often 

provide food and clothing for 

them as well; Coleman prefers 

to call them (homeless,) “our 

extended family.” 

On October 16 the 

Bethlehem Baptist Church in 

Mansfield, Texas held their 

Extended Family Benefit 

Banquet fundraiser. The 

money was needed badly and would 

help purchase fuel and needed parts 

to repair the 

bus. During 

the evening, 

unbeknown 

to Danny, the 

congregation 

honored Brother 

Cobb with a 

standing ovation 

when he was 

introduced and 

presented a 

special gift for his 

relentless efforts 

and personal 

time invested 

maintaining their 

bus. Several 

“extended family” members were 

attending and grateful for Danny’s 

dedication and safety minded work. 

After receiving many accolades, 

Danny humbly replied, “When I’m 

involved helping others, life is much 

more peaceful and happier for me, 

I don’t get wrapped up or angry 

when I’m helping someone in need.” 

Minister Coleman said, “Over the last 

three and a half years, Danny has 

donated his free time, unselfishly, 

working on the bus, keeping it 

roadworthy and safe.” Minister 

Coleman was moved to tears as 

he thanked Danny for his work. 

Danny, his mother and girlfriend 

Debbie, were overwhelmed by the 

congregation’s show of affection. 

As a surprise, a brief video was 

shown before dinner with a few of 

Danny’s close friends, co-workers 

and Local 513 President Darrin 

Pierce. They each shared their 

personal feelings about Danny. 

In addition, TWU’s Air Transport 

Division Director John Conley 

appeared in the video. Conley 

thanked Danny for his sincere 

dedication and expert maintenance 

skills repairing and maintaining 

not only the church bus, but 

the TWU motor coach as well. 

Director Conley admired Danny’s 

commitment to those less fortunate. 

Church members prepare to watch a video 

presentation in honor of Danny Cobb 

Left: Debbie, Danny and his very 

proud mother 

LM 6 



12/8/09 9:49:04 AM


WWC Meeting 

New Officers Elected 

By: Margaret Sadler 

The ATD Working Women’s 

Committee (WWC) met in 

Hurst, Texas October 5-6, it was 

our final meeting for the year. The 

agenda was full with guest speakers 

and scheduled elections for new 

WWC officers. In addition, the 

meeting was filmed for an upcoming 

video on the Working Women’s 

Committee and several members 

were interviewed on camera. 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA) labor liaison, 

Roy Dean Foster, spoke about the 

importance of documentation and 

how it helps in an accident case or 

incident investigation on the job. 

OSHA Standards have been in place 

for many years and are based on the 

male gender, not a gender neutral 

basis. Women have been entering 

the workforce in escalating numbers 

each year and many are the primary 

wage earners. As women we need to 

band together to get these standards 

changed. 

Ellen Wakefield, President of the 

Ft.Worth Chapter of the Coalition of 

Labor Union Women (CLUW) discussed 

the importance of screening for the 

Human Papilloma Virus. HPV is known 

to cause cervical cancer and women 

need to know the risks so they can 

protect themselves. 

International Organizer Linda Dill, 

talked with us about the Volunteer 

Member Organizer (VMO) program 

available to TWU members. This 

program will benefit our union because 

it brings the union message to non-union 

workers, many of which are seeking 

union representation. Organizing other 

workers is covered in our Constitution 

under Article II (d). 

Portia Reddick-White, TWU 

International Director of Legislative and 

Political Affairs spoke about one of the 

highest priorities for the 111th Congress 

- passing the Employee Free Choice Act. 

EFCA will make it easier for workers to 

organize and join one of their choosing. 

Portia reminded us to always be aware 

for our own personal safety when going 

Carolyn Burton portrays Private 

William Cathay from 1867 

door to door conducting any union 

activities. 

Becky Moeller President of the 

Texas AFL-CIO talked about her 

struggles as a female coming up in 

predominantly male union ranks. 

Becky urged us to seek leadership 

roles in our locals to diversify and 

help our union grow. 

Carolyn Burton, a member from 

Local 530, treated the committee 

to a wonderful “in character” reenactment 

of a black Union soldier 

serving in the 38th U.S. Infantry 

during the post Civil War period. 

Based on a true story, Carolyn 

became Private William Cathay, one 

of the original “buffalo soldiers” that 

served from 1866 -1868. William was 

actually a woman masquerading as a 

man. Private Cathay was actually Cathay 

Williams; she had become a respected 

Union soldier, advancing in rank before 

being discovered after she became ill. 

Military commanders were astonished 

and demanded she retire, thanking her 

for her service but denying her military 

pension. Carolyn’s authentic uniform 

and character portrayal of Private 

Cathay brought us back in time. She did 

a remarkable job telling the history and 

story as the only female "buffalo soldier" 

known to have served her country. 

Our last order of business was 

electing new officers. Under the 

WWC Charter, the Chair, Co-chair 

and Recording Secretary serve three 

year terms. Local 513’s Angi Tucker is 

the new WWC Chair, I was elected to 

Co-Chair (Local 555), and Local 575’s 

Diana Thomas was elected as our new 

Recording Secretary. 

We thanked the outgoing leaders, 

Sharon Riffle, Sharon Polk and Diana 

Tiggs for their vision and leadership 

over the last three years. They helped 

our committee prosper and we look 

forward to their continued involvement 

with the ATD Working Womens 

Committee. 

OSHA Labor Liason Roy Dean 

Foster, discusses proper 

documentation of accidents in 

the work place 


7 


12/8/09 9:49:07 AM


Sky Ball VII Fundraiser Largest Ever! 

TWU Members Support the Troops 

Blue Angels Ground Crew 

Alliance Air Show 

Volunteers prepared to 

pour the "Grog" toasts 

October 24, 2009 

Alliance Maintenance Base 

Over 3,000 guests attended 

SkyBall VII, and over 800 

volunteers helped make the 

evening memorable 

Photo by: Michael Serrapica 

Just a few of the hangar 

Set-Up Crew 

TWU Local 513 volunteers; from 

left Crew Chief Tom Hill and 

Executive Board member Frank 

Pecararo prepare to serve the 

evenings "grog" to all guests 

Welcome Home Jim 

“Sky Ball VII was not only the 

biggest from the paid attendance 

point of view; it was the biggest 

and most ambitious show we have 

ever put on. You should be proud 

of your achievement and how 

you communicated the patriotic 

message of Sky Ball’s support for 

our military families.” 

~ Mike Snyder FAPF Chairman and 

NBC Channel 5 Anchor . Sky Ball VII 

Master of Ceremonies 

From left: Local 567 Facilities Maintenance 

Crew Chief Mark Martin, Dale Middleton, 

Bobby Blackwood, Glen Crabtree, Johnny 

Griffith Local 567 E-Board member, Gene 

Rushing, Matt Singleton, Matt Jackson, and 

Stores Clerk Gail Bradshaw 

Table Service Crew 

"Yellow Ribbon" B-757 

8 

AA Flight Attendant presents the Sky 

Ball coin to U.S. Navy Lieutenant 

Commander James Harper. Commander 

Harper recently returned 

from Iraq; Jim is a member of TWU 

Local 513 


From left: American Eagle, TWU Local 575 

volunteers; Carlos Rodriguez, Johnny Arce; ATD 

Communications Coordinator Tim McAninley, 

International VP -ATD Director John M. Conley, 

Local 555 member Margaret Sadler (SWA) and 

TWU Legislative Field Representative Gwen 

Dunivent member of TWU Local 556 (SWA) 


12/8/09 9:49:16 AM


"Spirit of DFW" - Employee Appreciation Day 

November 5th, 2009 

From left; Volunteers Juanamaria Cook 

and Winnie Hackler serve lunch 

Brian Golden Communications Coordinator 

for Local 565 set up an informative literature 

table for members. Pamphlets covering the 

Employee Free Choice Act, Health Care 

Reform and the FAA Reauthorization 

Bill were available. 

"Rockin on the Ramp" 

Chief Pilot John Conrad kept 

the grill sizzlin' 

DFW's Employee 

Recognition 

Lunch line was never 

ending 

One for - Won! 

What? You're Kidding, Right? 

Mark Wright had been looking into buying a new 

vehicle for some time. After the 

governments,”Cash for Clunkers" deal expired, he 

figured he’d just wait. 

On a short break from the DFW mail facility, Mark went over 

to the ramp and grabbed a quick bite to eat during the “Spirit 

of DFW Employee Appreciation Fair.” There were several 

hundred employee's there, visiting the vendors booths and 

talking with their friends from all departments within the DFW 

family. He saw a nice, new, shiny red Ford F-150 pickup truck 

being raffled off; he bought a ticket and went back to work. 

~ Courtesy Sam Pack Ford 

One $5.00 raffle ticket won this new F-150 

truck for Crew Chief Mark Wright 

About an hour later, Tom Hill, one of the organizers for the 

days affair, called to inform Mark that he had indeed won the 

new truck! Hill said, "Talk about surprised and happy - he 

couldn’t believe it, he thought it was a joke at first." Mark is 

a member of TWU Local 513 and has worked for American 

Airlines for 23 years. 


9 


12/8/09 9:49:27 AM


Presidents Council Honors Iuliano 

and Rodriguez for their Service 

From left: John Iuliano 

served Local 562 as 

President and Rick 

Rodriguez served Local 

512 as President 

www.unionsportsmen.org 

From left: Tom Carlin 

Texas AFL-CIO V.P., 

Bill Seely TWU Local 

567 member and Gary 

Moffitt Texas AFL-CIO 

District 8 V.P., also a 

member of Local 567. 

Moffitt said, "we went to 

make a difference." So 

did many others 

Texas AFL-CIO Sponsors Healthcare 

Reform Rally at the State Capitol in 

Austin, Texas November 14th 

Do you Hunt and Fish? 

Unionsportsmen.org The 

Union Sportsmen's 

Alliance (USA) is a one-of-a-kind, 

hunting and fishing association 

of the Theodore Roosevelt 

Conservation Partnership (TRCP) 

and its trade union partners, 

exclusively for conservationminded 

union members, retirees 

and their families that hunt, fish 

and appreciate the outdoors. 

Check 'em out! 

Local 512 Continues Building Bridges 

with Pro-Labor Politicians 

Organizing Department Trains 

VMO's 

From left: Local 512 President Sean Doyle, 

Congressman Mike Quigley and 

Local 512's 1st Vice President Diana Tiggs 

TWU Members prepare themselves for 

future organizing projects. The 

Volunteer Member Organizers (VMO) 

assembled for in depth training at 

Local 514's union hall in October. 

LM 10 



12/8/09 9:49:33 AM


Senate Approves FMLA 

Coverage for Flight 

Attendants 

Washington, DC - More 

than 16 years after the 

original Family and 

Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was 

passed, flight attendants and flight 

crews across the country are 

finally about to be granted access 

to the same coverage that has long 

benefited working families. The 

Association of Flight Attendants- 

CWA (AFA-CWA) applauded the 

U.S. Senate for approving the Airline 

Flight Crew Family and Medical 

Leave Act, S. 1422. 

“We are happy to announce to our 

over 50,000 members, that no flight 

attendant will be left behind when it 

comes to FMLA coverage anymore,” 

said AFA-CWA International 

President Patricia Friend. “We 

have worked alongside Senator 

Patty Murray on this very important 

legislation and her leadership has 

been essential in making this bill 

a bi-partisan effort to correct and 

clarify current FMLA language 

that has repeatedly denied many 

flight attendants from qualifying for 

coverage for years.” 

Currently, flight attendants face 

many hurdles in order to qualify for 

FMLA benefits. These hurdles are 

particular to airline employees since 

FMLA language has been narrowly 

interpreted and has failed to take 

into account “the unique way in 

which the airline industry counts 

its workers’ hours.” The current 

bill clarifies the original 1993 FMLA 

law and ensures that flight crews 

are treated fairly and qualify for 

benefits. 

The bill was introduced by a 

bi-partisan coalition that consisted 

of Senators Murray (D-WA), Lisa 

Murkowski (R-AK), Jim Webb 

(D-VA), Sue Collins (R-ME), Chris 

Dodd (D-CT) and Kit Bond (R-MO). 

A similar bill was passed by the 

House on a unanimous voice vote 

earlier this year. 

“We look forward to an expedited 

process to finalize this very 

important bill and for President 

Obama to officially sign it into law 

this fall. No one can question the 

benefits FMLA has provided for 

working women and men, allowing 

them to take time off from work 

to care for themselves or family 

members,” added Friend. 

The FMLA requires most 

employers to provide job-protected 

unpaid leave to employees who 

have worked 60 percent of a fulltime 

schedule over the course of 

a year. However, the courts and 

federal agencies disregarded that 

original intent and narrowly defined 

the “full time schedule” as that of 

a traditional 40 hour work week, 

thereby excluding flight attendants 

whose schedules do not fall within 

the traditional 9-5 work day. 

TWU Members Attend 

Mid-South Union Leadership 

Institute 

submitted by Patti Adams 

Local 555 

TWU members attended the 

Mid-South Union 

Leadership Institute, 

sponsored by the AFL-CIO’s in 

Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, 

Texas and Tennessee on November 

5-7, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. State 

caucuses were conducted by the 

AFL-CIO. 

Workshops included: 

-Understanding the Current 

Economy and Labor’s 

Response 

- Legislation Updates, 

-The “New” Department of 

Labor, 

- Effective Union 

Administration, 

-Union Building, 

-Communicating in the You 

Tube Age, 

-Unions in the Green 

Economy 

The workshops were presented 

by the University of Arkansas 

at Little Rock Labor Education 

Program. LEP offers classes to 

local unions during the day, evening, 

or weekends, at facilities convenient 

to the local. Special classes can be 

designed to meet the needs of your 

local union. You can contact LEP @: 

www.iea.ualr.edu/lep/ or call them - 

501-569-8483 

Attending the event; ATD 

International Vice President Garry 

Drummond, Jimmy Curry President 

of the Oklahoma Chapter of the 

AFL-CIO and member of TWU Local 

514, Alexander Arce Vice President 

of TWU Local 575 and Felix Silva, 

Executive Board member of Local 

575. Representing TWU members 

from Southwest Airlines were; 

Robert Bettinger Executive Board 

member and Patti Adams both 

from TWU Local 555. Alexander 

Arce commented, “ this was good 

training, I had no idea this resource 

was available to union officers and 

members. This was an investment 

for our local and will pave the way 

for our future. I suggest our locals 

send their E- Board officers to learn 

more and make our union strong." 

From left: Alex Arce V.P. 

Local 575, Felix Silva Executive 

Board Local 575, Patti 

Adams and Robert Bettinger 

Executive Board Local 555 


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12/8/09 9:49:35 AM



12/8/09 9:49:41 AM

TWU ATD Insider December 2009

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