Local 512

June 6, 2026

Brothers and Sisters,

President Elvira did such a great job handing out the Dri-Fit shirts that I decided to give him a break from this week's update!

Many members have asked why we're distributing these shirts. The answer is simple: 2026 marks the 80th Anniversary of TWU Local 512.

Our Local was officially established on July 31, 1946, when a dedicated group of union leaders laid the foundation for what would become one of the strongest locals in the Transport Workers Union. Through eight decades of hard work, solidarity, and determination, generations of members have fought to improve wages, benefits, working conditions, and job protections for all of us.

The anniversary shirts are a way to recognize and celebrate the rich history of TWU Local 512 and the members who built this union into what it is today. As we honor our past, we also look forward to continuing the fight for our membership's future.

If you were part of the distribution this past week, you may have noticed the sign-up book has changed to a digital sign-up created by our President. It doesn’t change that the Department of Labor requires the union to maintain records demonstrating that the money we spend is for the direct benefit of our members. That is the main reason for signing and acknowledging the receipt of any giveaway we do. We are proud to call each of you our members, brothers and sisters. We are 512 strong.

Many of our members may have noticed strange managers walking the ramp over the last two days. Some may have recognized one of them from Jetnet. That would be David Seymour, the number two executive at American Airlines, who was on a station visit at the Chicago Hub.

Mr. Seymour was gracious enough to give President Elvira and me an hour of his time to discuss the challenges facing the company in Chicago, referring to our competition here as the other airline. He made a point of not calling that airline by name. President Elvira shared his views and opened the door for me to question Mr. Seymour about Ground Star Real Time (GSRT), the system that manages ramp manpower. I directed my questioning to web-based training and to the company's inability to manage our members' lessons on the clock. We had 11 lessons totaling 5.2 hours of learning. I informed him that Ground Star Real Time can schedule time to complete these lessons. I also informed him that many of our members complete these lessons on their own time. We made him aware that we believe the company is aware of this fact. We made it clear that the TWU will not work for free. Now that we have called this to his attention, he has an obligation to investigate it. Let's make one thing clear: this issue is not unique to Chicago, and we have had many grievances about it before the Grievance Review Board (GRB). We hope this issue has not fallen on deaf ears, but if it has, we have other means to resolve it.

We've had a rash of terminations in Chicago lately. These terminations range from time card fraud and loafing to attendance issues, travel violations, and double violations involving controlled substances. The rules of conduct are available on Jetnet. Please be aware of and familiarize yourself with the factors that could lead to termination. 

During our weekly management meeting, the company informed us that it has been challenging to fill open crew chief positions. We have three crew chiefs on the transfer list to be agents, and 2 others transferring out of the station. The company is holding a hiring event on June 15th to hire crew chiefs off the street. The company will make offers to 20 crew chief candidates. The need for crew chiefs stems from demotions, transfers, and hiring to expand the Tow Crew. The company will also be hiring Fleet Service Agents and plans to add a mix of full-time and part-time positions, totaling 50 positions.

Lastly, the company will be handing out below-the-wing devices on Monday, June 8th. There are two lessons outlining expectations, security, loss and damage, and battery levels. The Training Department will also have trainers available to assist in the distribution. The Operations Team has ordered ancillary equipment to support the device. That equipment consists of holsters and lanyards. This equipment has already been deployed in PHX and DFW. As we adjust to this new technology, we want to ensure job safety. Do not get distracted while focusing on these devices. Your safety on the job is and always will be number one.

Respectfully,

Mike Szwed

Vice-President – TWU Local 512

TWU Local 512 is proud to announce the Local 512 app for your smartphone is available for download in the Apple store and the Google play store.
 click the iTunes or Google Play logos below to download the app today!