135 represents 2,000+ Flight Attendants (FA’s) at Republic Airways. At the direction of President Roach, a Flight Attendant Advisory Board (FAAB) was formed, with members from every base on it. On Friday, April 21 the FAAB & the Executive Board met to address issues and concerns from the past with a focus on the future, discussing way to fix them.

“Our group is very unique,” said Republic Airways’ Chief Steward, Suzanne Shafer. “We are extremely remote, flying around the country for days on end at times. In the past, there was little to no involvement by FA’s in our Local, and a majority of my peers had nothing good to say about our Union. Coming from a Teamster family, it hurt. Prior to being elected, the new E- Board committed that they’d address the alarming amount of apathy, disenfranchisement and distance in our group. So far they added an additional Business Agent and created a process to hire the best Agents possible. Our new Agents have the support of the Local and they’ve been more transparent and available than any time I can recall. Their dedication and enthusiasm inspired me to run for Chief Steward.” 

“Things don’t change overnight but you can already see the huge positive impact among Flight Attendants. Members are stepping up and getting involved. As the newly elected Chief Steward, it’s exciting, to say the least,” adds Suzanne. “The FAAB is a great tool to make sure we have a seat at the table. We meet directly with the Executive Board on a quarterly basis. Leaving yesterday’s meeting, left me feeling even better about the direction we are headed as Teamsters Local 135 Flight Attendants! Our Local is more active and supportive of all members – it’s exciting to be a part of this new era.”

Teamsters Local 135 proudly stands with our members in the Airline Division! Shoutout to FAAB members! Your dedication and commitment to empowering our membership is inspiring!