Published 30 Oct, 2013
The new TWU administration’s first weeks have been devoted to hearing from locals in every division. In the past, the expertise and on-the-ground knowledge of ATD locals in particular was often overlooked. Moving forward, the International will seek the input of local leadership at every step in negotiations with employers. To this end, the new TWU leadership called a historic summit meeting on October 22 of the entire ATD for the first time in recent history to find common ground and chart a way forward on issues of collective concern.
Thirty-two ATD local presidents came together in Hurst, Texas to hash out their challenges and give TWU International President Harry Lombardo a full picture of their aims within the industry. Led by International Secretary-Treasurer Alex Garcia, International Administrative VP John Bland, and ATD Director Garry Drummond, the group sought to identify concrete ways in which the International can support ATD locals.
In recent months, the International’s efforts with the ATD have been consumed by the AMR bankruptcy. Coming off the Convention, the new administration’s focus is on consistent and productive communication. That process begins with learning from the locals — all of them, including our service contract locals. This contact is particularly vital due to the number of open contracts in the Division.
The first of its kind, the meeting set the stage for open discussion and collective work in the Division. And the TWU is committed to building upon this new dialog in future ATD-wide meetings.
On October 16, before meeting with the ATD locals in Texas, International President Harry Lombardo sat down with Transit Division local presidents in New Jersey at the Local 1400 union hall. The day following the ATD meeting, the top officers convened a presidents council meeting with American Airlines and US Airways local leadership to share perspectives on the merger between the two airlines, and their new association with the IAM.
Next month, the International’s top officers will hold a Strategic Planning Meeting. International leadership has issued a standing request for suggestions from local presidents on how the International can best support locals.