Air Transport Division: Director's Update

It gives me great pleasure to report that Air Transport Division Director, Gary Yingst’s surgery was a success and he is now at home recuperating.  I am sure that he is following his doctor’s orders in hopes of a speedy recovery. We miss him and wish him the best while he is on the mend.

Since my appointment as Acting Director for the Air Transport Division, by International President James Little, I have been extremely busy. I must admit that I welcome the challenge and trust bestowed in me, and look forward to working with all our ATD Locals.

When I am not on the phone, traveling, or attending meetings, I am fortunate to have the support of a hard working and dedicated staff.  They work diligently day in and day out on behalf of all our ATD Locals and their members.

We have many challenges ahead of us as and some of these challenges require our International Representatives, and the  ATD staff, to work in concert with the Local Presidents. Thorough preparation is important and they have begun the preliminary work necessary to prepare for contract negotiations with American Airlines, American Eagle and Southwest Airlines. This is the first time, that I can remember, that three major contract groups have been preparing for negotiations simultaneously

We will be balancing our normal everyday duties with the additional challenges that are a direct by product of contract negotiations.

We must continue to move our organization forward, and one way to accomplish that is to not become complacent. We must continue the process of re-examining ourselves to make sure that the decisions made benefit our members, their families and our Locals.   We must set tangible goals for ourselves as union workers. One of the ways we are doing this is by engaging the leadership of all Locals in all divisions - Transit, Railroad and Air Transport Division.

TWU International President, James Little, has begun the process by hosting the first in a series of “Strategic Planning” seminars that brought together twenty one of our Locals Presidents representing various Locals from all three divisions.

The four day event took place at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, MD in March, and the major focus was - politics, communications, member mobilization, and organizational alliances. According to facilitator, Mark Richards, he received nothing less than positive feedback from the Local Presidents in attendance. International President Little has scheduled the next “Strategic Planning” seminar for October 1-4, 2007. 

I am excited about the direction that our International Union has taken, it is crucial to our continued success as an organization that we involve our members and their Local leadership. By setting collective goals, working together, and standing shoulder to shoulder, we will achieve our desired results. 

In closing, I would like to leave you with a message that many past union leaders have left with me - “United Invincible!”