Lately, it has been my opinion that the “family” the company tries to talk about has broken up a long time ago; however, I recently realized that in some respects, it actually still kind of does exist, just a little smaller than initially advertised. The truth of the matter is that it’s made up of the people we work with every day or over the years, past and present. We often take these family members for granted. We forget the things they do and have done over the time we’ve known them: the help they’ve given on heavy flights, the covered duties, complete flights and even shifts. It’s easy to forget the sheer amount of time we spend with our co-workers and the impact that they actually have on our lives. Time and time again it’s co-workers, friends, who step up and help when we get in a pinch. The following was taken from http://jerryswheels.wordpress.com and is about a past co-worker during my time working the ramp in SEA. On Friday, November 25th, Jerry Carter was involved in a serious accident while up in the mountains with family and friends. He slipped and fell down a rocky hill while cutting down a Christmas tree. His fall resulted in four broken ribs and injured vertebrae around his spinal cord. He was airlifted to Harborview and had surgery to repair his vertebrae. Because of the location of his injuries, the doctors are saying chances are Jerry will never walk again. Although we all still have hope, Jerry needs all the support he can get. During his time in SEA, Jerry continued his education and his goal to become a teacher, and when he left it was that goal that motivated his departure. During this time in his life it was my other co-workers that posted his situation on social network updates and shared it word of mouth and in calls to spread the word. It’s not the first time this has happened and I’m positive that while I wish all well, it won’t be the last. I’ve seen it over and over again when agents found themselves in need; others have stepped up to do what they could. Whether due to injuries, illnesses, or personal challenges, in times of need that need has been heard and actions taken by many of you. Why use an ex-employee’s situation in this article? Because just as with real blood families, members leave home, but it doesn’t mean they are not part of the family anymore. Doesn’t take away the times or experiences we’ve shared. If after years the best in us comes out to help someone from our past it stands to reason that we shouldn’t have to dig too deep to help the person to our left and right, now. Isn’t that what family, friendship, brother- and sisterhood should mean? Keep your eyes open for fundraisers and events to help those around you. Do what you can and remember...at the end of the day it’s our actions that speak volumes. We have a website setup for our Local and for each of our eight districts, and while I haven’t utilized our district page as I should, it can be used to spread the word of things, such as the one I just described, to reach out to those “family” members that have gone to different parts of the system. Feel free to forward ideas on content and messages that you would like included on our page and I will make it happen. In closing, be safe and don’t let the stresses of a busy season, or simply a bad day, fracture what has taken years to build. Take care of yourself and those around you and may the next day/week/month/year be better than your last.

Fraternally,

albert.barbosa@twu555.org

Albert Barbosa

District 8 Representative