INSIGHT FROM YOUR LOCAL
LL Officer Change
In January Local Lodge 2339N had multiple officer changes at their monthly meeting following Elections in December 2024. They welcomed Kristine Schumacher as President, Payton Edgell as Secretary Treasurer, Sue-Ann Broomes as Conductor Sentinel, and Sara Martin as Trustee. Their commitment to Local Lodge 2339N will bring new light and knowledge as we move forward.
District 142 Golf Outing. & Charity Event
InOctober Local Lodge members Kristine Schumacher, Yessenia Hernandez, Kayla Felix, Payton Edgell and Mark Diefenbach joined District 142 at their Golf Outing. This was the first annual event held by District 142 and a successful one. Raising over $10,000 for Guide Dogs of America and Tender Loving Canines. This event was packed full of love for the great charity and brought so many IAM members together. Local Lodge 2339N was honored to assist in this event and hopes to have members help out and join in on the great cause in the many years to come.
Aircraft Cabin Air Quality Conference
In September 2024 Director Bud Brown and Safety Commitee Member Kayla Felix attended the first in person Aircraft Cabin Air Quality Conference in London, UK. Air quality is a vital part to all aviations workers from ramp agents, maintenance, gate agents and all working crew members aboard the aircraft during flight. During our short time in London we learned so much about the importance of safety and better ways to track the quality of the cabin air. It is vital that we continue to grown our knowledge about this and make sure that we are keeping everyone safe. We encourage everyone to educate each other on this and continue to fight for protection in our work place.
Young Workers Summit
In January Recording Secretary Kayla Felix attending the first Young Workers Summit at District 142 in Phoenix, AZ. This event is vital to the growth of the IAMAW and the young leaders preparing to flourish in the years to come. Together the members heard from multiple speakers and leadership from the Grand Lodge. They were able to work together and table topic that commonly are missed bringing a new light to things that the IAM can focus on and strive to make for an even stronger union. With this summit it will help give the young workers a voice and continue to showcase new innovated things to come. Kayla looks forward to sharing the knowledge that she gained during this experience and hopes to become a greater part of the young worker group.
Newly Appointed
President & Vice President
On April 9th, 2024 Chief of Staff, Air Transport Territory, Edison Fraser assisted the swearing-in ceremony. Vice President Mark Diefenbach took oath as President and Trustee, Yessenia Hernandez took oath as Vice President.
Financial Officer Seminar at W3
In April 2024 Secretary Treasurer Sara Martin attended the Financial Officer’s Seminar at the William W. Wipinsinger Education & Technology Center. This course provided an abundance of information to help better serve our membership and interests by keeping our Local Lodge compliant with all Local and Federal financial laws. Sara attended in-depth classes about book-keeping, accounting, financial transparency/reporting, and budgeting. She is excited too use these skills to continue to keep LL 2339N strong!
Recording Secretary & Local Lodge Election Training
In November, President Danielle Pearce and Recording Secretary Kayla Felix. attended the Recording Secretary and Local Lodge Election Training at the William W. Winpisinger Center in Hollywood, MD. They learned all the ins and outs of the duties of a Recording Secretary. From by laws, hosting local lodge meetings, and even hosting their own mock local lodge election. It was a great experience where they were able to connect with other members from Local Lodges around the U.S.
District 142 Steward Conference
In May 2024 Grievance Chair Kayla Felix attended District 142's Steward Conference at the William W. Wipinsinger Education & Technology Center. This conference not only provided knowledge about the steward position but gave Kayla the opportunity to learn about other CBA's and the challenges that other Local Lodge Stewards face in their position. Kayla had the opportunity to meet many members from District 142 and heard from guest speakers. Kayla hopes to take the knowlegde that she gained from this conference and utilize it during her time as the greivance chair and hopes to educate others at her Local Lodge with everything that she has learned.
Unity and Growth Conference
In August, President Danielle Pearce attended the IAMAW Unity and Growth Conference in San Diego, CA, along with Recording Secretary Kayla Felix and members from every industry represented by IAMAW. This conference emphasized the importance of protecting the right to organize workers in every workplace. IAM is committed to supporting every workgroup in need of union support and safeguarding workers who may feel taken advantage of or exploited by their employers. We discussed workplace issues and brainstormed solutions to counteract employers who oppose unions. Internal organizing and encouraging all members to become active and advocate for themselves and fellow workers were key points of discussion. In addition to hearing from expert speakers, participated in breakout sessions, allowing them to collaborate with other transportation workers and address workplace challenges. Together, they educated each other and generated ideas to advance the goals of our members and the entire IAM.
Diversity Initiative
In September, President Danielle Pearce attended the IAM Education Center, W3, for a think tank discussion group focused on diversifying IAM and its leadership. Although IAMAW is one of the most diverse labor unions in North America, our top leadership does not reflect that diversity. IAM is committed to ensuring that leaders represent the diverse membership, which includes individuals from various races, genders, ages, and cultures. This three-day discussion group was designed to address this issue. They discussed obstacles to change, potential solutions, and actionable steps to achieve diversity, including creating mentorship programs, increasing transparency, and actively seeking diverse members for events and opportunities. This group plans to meet again in the future to assess progress and generate more ideas to achieve this goal.
Legislative Conference
In July, President Danielle Pearce and Vice President Mark Diefenbach took part in the Legislative conference held in Washington, DC. Several congressmen and congresswomen attended and discussed their plans to support labor unions and enact future laws. These politicians expressed their support for the labor movement and the growth of labor unions in the near future. The conference focused on the needs and desires of organized workers to improve their quality of life, workplace safety, and future goals. After morning meetings, the afternoons were filled with in-person meetings with our individual congressional representatives to address their specific needs. They emphasized the importance of workplace safety, especially for ramp workers, and advocated for laws to criminalize aggressive passengers in order to protect customer service agents. They also stressed the importance of establishing duty limitations for flight attendants and increasing visibility of our role in passenger safety. They sought support for organizing Delta workers and discussed the importance of enhancing rail safety. This conference was incredibly eye-opening and motivating, underscoring the significance of creating and refining laws that protect transportation workers.
Leadership One at W3
Sue-Ann Broomes attended Leadership one at the W3 center in July, here is what she had to say about her time spent there.
"My time at W3 was filled with a plethora of information about the Union that I did not know before. I wish all new FAs could go, it is really very informative. I learned from IAM and members from other lodges. The campus and area is really nice - it's on a lake! Met some really cool 😎 people as well. Pic below is my group mates. Other female lives in Canada. Yes, Canada has IAM members."
NJSC
In August, President Danielle Pearce attended the New Jersey State Council Meeting with Conductor Sentinel Kristine Schumacher. Held in Atlantic City, NJ, this conference highlighted the importance of involvement in state and local governments that oversee our workplaces. Flight attendants work all over the world, knowing the laws that protect them and being familiar with local lawmakers who support them in the workplace are increasingly important given the current state of the United States. Similar to the DC Legislative conference, they heard from many lawmakers and elected officials. They discussed topics important to them as transportation workers and voiced their concerns to those lawmakers responsible for crafting laws to protect their rights and workplace safety.
Grand Lodge Convention 2024
