When I was 24 I began working in the airline industry as a Continental Ticket Agent. At 28, I was hired by TWA as an International Flight Purser. Wanting to improve things, I was elected to a Flight Attendant Union Rep position and continued to represent Flight Attendants, full time, until my recent retirement.

I worked close to 40 years for the TWU, AFA, and the IAM representing Flight Attendants. I’ve experienced everything, from protracted contract negotiations to bankruptcies and mergers and everything else in between. During those years I learned that nothing works better than solidarity, industry wide influence, contract negotiation know how and good old fashioned power and clout.

The Union with all these qualities is the IAM.

In the near future United F/A’s will be deciding whether AFA or the IAM should be the Union that will help them complete the Continental/United merger, seniority integration and negotiations for better pay, work rules, benefits and retirement. I urge you to vote for the Union that will have the greatest number of members at the new Continental United … and the greatest amount of power and clout at the bargaining table … Vote for the IAM.

In Solidarity

Art Teolis
Former TWA Purser
Past Union President
Former Union organizer for AFA, IAM & TWU