** This Message was sent by our new Council President on December 22. Because of an error in my part the message was not delivered to everyone. I do apologize for my mistake. I can assure you that the outgoing officers and the newly elected officers are working together to ensure we ALL have equal representation. Until further notice continue to utilize the 844-afa4you number to contact your grievance representative Jarrett Beto or email him at grievance42@unitedafa.org**
Franko
Message From Denny Wheeling - Newly elected President Council 42 Houston
So, our local election in Houston ended yesterday. The polls are closed and your votes have been tabulated for the New Houston Council 42 Officers. Your New Council 42 representatives are
- Denny Wheeling- LEC President
- Elizabeth Hibbard- LEC VP
- Beth Fortner-Rodgers- LEC Secretary
- Will Sanders- Council Rep
- Eddie Perez- Council Rep
Many of you have asked about the new position of Council Rep. The Council Rep position is new to the Houston base. Neither of our previous Councils had this position. According to our Constitution and By-Laws, the Local Council Rep is defined this way:
"The Local Council Representative shall assist the President, Vice President, and Secretary in the administration of Local Council activities, and perform such other duties as the President may assign to the Council Representative. For the purposes of calling special Local Council meetings, a Council Representative is not an officer.
A Council Representative shall not succeed to any vacant office in a Local Executive Council."
So while it is an elected position, you can see the duties of a Council Rep are very broadly defined. Elizabeth, Beth, and I will be working with Will and Eddie to narrow down that definition for our local in the coming weeks.
I’d like to thank everyone who voted for our team, as well as everyone who didn’t. By participating in the process you’ve shown you care about the direction in which your Local Officers and Reps will lead you. Whether your candidate won or lost is immaterial now. What’s important is moving forward with a single purpose in mind. That purpose has to be the combination of our previously separate workgroups, into one unified body- one unified voice.
Between now and the first of the year when we will officially be one Council, we will begin working with individuals from both pre-merger groups to chart a course for the betterment of all Houston based Flight Attendants, and for a clear path to success for our Union.
Regardless of who you supported in our local election, I would like to ask each of you to consider the following words.
-None of us became Flight Attendants because we wanted to come to work and be angry.
-None of us became Flight Attendants because we thought one Union was better than another.
-None of us became Flight Attendants because we wanted to speak ill of each other.
BUT...
-We ALL became Flight Attendants because of a love of travel.
-We ALL became Flight Attendants because we love people (at least we said that shit in the interview- lol).
-We ALL became Flight Attendants because the thought of a 9-5 existence was just too much to handle.
-We ALL became Flight Attendants because it truly is the best job in the world.
So let's ALL remember these things when we go to work tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Life is too short to be angry all the damn time. Reach out to your fellow Flight Attendant - you just might see them ready to reach right back.
Peace out
Denny Wheeling
President
Council 64 AFA-CWA
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