As you are aware, AMFA is a uniquely democratic labor union where each member has the right to become as involved within the Association as they care to be. There are very minimal restrictions to be eligible to hold a Local or National position throughout our Association. AMFA is a craft union which focuses on its members while remaining openly fiscally responsible and, throughout its history, there has been a trusted reliance on committed part-time and volunteer members.

All positions in AMFA from Shop Representative, Area Representative, Airline Representative, “GO TEAM” member, Professional Standards Representative, Safety and Standards Representative, Local or National Officer, to members of Local committees dealing with Welfare, Bylaws, Financial Audits, or Contract Proposals are created and filled exclusively to benefit the membership. History has proven that the membership will not tolerate anything to the contrary. Each member holding an elected position within our Association is placed there by the membership and, therefore, they are categorically accountable to the membership. The process has been very successful in ensuring that these positions are filled with dedicated individuals who have integrity and who want nothing more than the betterment of the membership in the Association.

Unfortunately, with our structural dependency on volunteerism there becomes hurdles that we are forced to overcome. For the most part, with the exception of Shop Representatives in some bid locations, we don’t have any difficulties finding qualified members to fill available positions. Many of the members holding positions run in elections unopposed strictly because the membership they serve is overwhelmingly in favor of their leadership. But in most of the part-time positions where the person elected is working as part of a crew on airplanes 95% of the time, we need more support. Not support in filling those positions, but support for those members who are in those positions. These members can’t be expected to work 40 hours a week with the crew and then have the time and energy to work for the crew in their elected capacity.

Our representatives must have training, they must participate in Local issues, and they must put in time and labor for the membership in the capacity for which they were elected; this cannot and should not be accomplished during their lunch time or breaks. These elected representatives must take Union Business time off from their airplane job so they can work in their elected capacity within the Association to help preserve your airplane job. We have to support our Brothers and Sisters when they are absent from the crew due to Union Business. It is imperative to the success of our Association that an elected representative or volunteer never experiences negative implications from the crew due to being off on Union Business.

The fact of the matter is that the Locals and National reimburse the respective companies for all Union Business time off a person takes. When a member of your crew is absent on Union Business, there is no financial burden to the company for their wages and, in most cases, the company is being reimbursed at double digit percentages above the wages of the officer or representative off on Union Business. The common misconception is that when a member is off on Union Business that they are shorting the crew, and those on duty that night must pick up their workload. On the contrary, the company is the entity choosing to short the crew. They have complete and unabated means to fill a crew to full strength. If the company chooses to not backfill, for whatever reason, you are ill-advised to comply when told you must accomplish more tasks than your allotted time at work safely provides. By the company choosing to work with a partial crew they are sending the logical message that they are only expecting a partial workload to be safely completed by that crew. If they intend to safely accomplish a full crew workload in a shift, they have more than the means to staff the crew to full strength. We have been in discussions with both companies over the last several years and safety is a concern we both share.

In closing, it is time again for Local elections. Please educate yourselves and elect good union people who you know will have your best interests at heart. Our elected officers, representatives, and committee members are the backbone of the Association. It is imperative that we hold them accountable, but it is equally important that they have the support of the membership that they represent. I’d like to thank those past and current members who have worked, regardless of the extent, to help our Association. I encourage all of you to explore ways to become more active in AMFA.

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