Published 18 Nov, 2014
Today is Day 1 of the TWU Veterans Committee’s three-day quarterly meeting, held in Miami, FL and jointly hosted by Local 291 and Local 570 leadership. As with every meeting of TWUVC, the objective is to triage all areas of TWUVC business, assess whether the Committee has met its benchmarks for progress on projects, and determine the agenda for the next three months.
The Committee elected a new team of top officers earlier today. Now at the helm of TWUVC are: Committee Chairman Peter Meyer, Committee Co-Chairman Sean Spence, and Recording Secretary Brendon Remezas. Former Committee Chairman and Vietnam veteran Hank Trujillo is entering retirement, after serving for two terms as head of the Committee. TWU International Secretary-Treasurer Alex Garcia, in attendance at today’s meeting, assisted in presenting Brother Trujillo with an award in recognition for his contributions to the growth and success of TWUVC and his work in the service of veterans of the U.S. military.
In other business, the Committee approved TWUVC By-Laws, which were amended earlier this year, hosted by Local 100 in Brooklyn, NY. The approved By-Laws will now be sent to the TWU International Administrative Committee for review before going into effect.
In his address to the Committee, TWU International Secretary-Treasurer Alex Garcia reiterated the International’s strong support for TWUVC’s work in serving veterans through service projects, as well as its aggressive political and legislative work. The International is committed to supporting and developing the Committee through all means possible, and to strengthening TWUVC’s work through coordinated efforts by the State Conferences and the Government Affairs Department.
The International is working to build on the successful unification of TWUVC through other unification efforts across the union. The new TWUVC welcomes veterans from all TWU Divisions, an expansion of the longstanding ATD Veterans Committee, whose membership was restricted to Air.
This afternoon, TWUVC’s subcommittees will be refining their goals for the coming months. Currently, there are four main subcommittees: the Communications Subcommittee, Legislative Subcommittee, Events Subcommittee and Benefits Subcommittee.
Among other speakers, TWUVC will welcome tomorrow Angie Cotton of Independence Home Care, who will be educating TWUVC members on the benefits that are available to veterans who are more advanced in age, including assistance with transportation and a variety of housing concerns.
TWUVC will also be hammering out the details of its role in Operation Free PX in San Antonio, a mainstay among the Committee’s annual holiday service projects in support of active-duty military and their families. Watch the video below to learn more about TWUVC’s work on Operation Free PX during the 2013 holiday season.