5.12.23 – Special APFA LGA Base Brief

Friday, May 12, 2023

Special New York-LGA Base Brief

As we close the week, I wanted to inform you about a change to our local APFA leadership. Penelope King has informed me of her decision to resign as your Base Vice President. I want to thank her for her years of service and ask you to join me in wishing her the best as she begins a new chapter in her flying career. When you elected me to represent LGA, you trusted me to ensure our base had the best representation possible. It’s an honor and a privilege I take seriously and try to live up to every day since I took office just over two years ago.

While we get the unique election process underway for a new Base VP, I’ve appointed Eric Hodgson to fill the role of Interim VP. Eric is a passionate advocate for our base and has served in various union positions, including Base President, and Base Vice President of LGA. He currently serves on our base council, is a trained mediator, and is highly regarded for his ability to facilitate difficult conversations and resolve challenging issues.

As our base continues to grow (nearly 3,000 strong), we need candidates who aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo as we enter a critical bargaining phase with a management team often focused on everything but their employees. The role of the Base VP is a critical one. The person filling it must have the energy, drive, and tenacity to do union work, an often overlooked and undervalued skill. This person will be tasked with everything from representing their colleagues facing disciplinary action via the company’s harsh policies to participating in face-to-face meetings with local management to handling extremely sensitive personal issues our flight attendants face. I will also rely on them to help me develop and implement our long-term strategy for improving and maintaining the quality of work life we so richly deserve.

By now, it is not a secret that I am not your conventional base president, so as I do everything else, I must be upfront in sharing with you what a base vice president should genuinely bring to a base like New York. At the top of that list is the personal dedication to not just utter but believe that each flight attendant we represent is an individual and a career worthy of fair and, at times, exhausting effort to protect all that member’s rights, be they contractual, civil, or human rights. Like most union leadership roles, this position requires a thick skin, very little need for affirmation and recognition, and someone who’s a self-starter and takes the initiative. While you may read this and take a step back, an individual without the above can be just as qualified if they have the desire and commitment to live up to these basic principles. While this is a demanding role, it is gratifying and meaningful for the right person. The reward is not in any monetary advantage or excuse from flying but the satisfaction of raising the bar for our profession. I’m confident that within the ranks of our base, we have people who can live up to the challenge and are willing to serve their co-workers. After all, this is New York, and we pride ourselves on taking care of one another.

Our APFA National Ballot Committee will keep you up to date on timing, but the task of putting together the special election is already underway. Please join me in thanking Eric Hodgson for accepting this responsibility as the interim base vice president. Eric will continue serving until the election results are certified. Please stay informed, and please vote in this upcoming special election. By doing so, you’re taking control of our future. You have my commitment to a smooth transition and an even stronger base council that reflects the diverse, strong people we all are here in New York.

In Unity,

Christian M. Santana
APFA LGA Base President
[email protected]

PROUD to represent New York-LGA & Ready for a Contract