Union Ash

02/28/2026

This was my first Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Subcommittee Hearing and no I did not expect Senator Menjivar to talk to me 😅😅.
But ofc bc she is a MSW! She’s also a veteran, EMT, labor ally, and proud 🏳️‍🌈 leader fighting for working families.

02/07/2026

I got evacuation drills burned into my mind on this thing in 2007. One of the most stressful months of my life at that point (I was 21 years old), but I can evacuate a gaggle of humans out of anything in my sleep now.

🫡 enjoy your retirement job, Poolie!

02/02/2026

Important note on discernment when voting in our union🗳️

01/28/2026

Solidarity with Rep. Ilhan Omar ✊

01/22/2026

AFL-CIO’s Annual Event honoring the legacy of DR. Martin Luther King Jr. through sharing historical wisdom and insights from extraordinary labor leaders all weekend.

A few lines that stuck out:

“We, the labor movement, are the vehicle of rebuild.”
— April Verrett

“My charge to you… is to not allow them to keep you focused on the brokenness.”
— April Verrett

“They’re trying to distract us… that’s a strategy.”
— Evelyn DeJesus (Executive VP, AFT)

“You don’t let people rent space in your mind.”
— Evelyn DeJesus

“We can’t work with symptoms… take the roots out.”
— Captain Charles L. Alphin

“There is power asymmetry between workers and their company — and collectively we address that.”
— Darrick Hamilton (Chief Economist, AFL-CIO)

“As working people, we have to stand together… regardless of status… language… color… gender.”
— David Huerta (SEIU)

And a reminder that felt like a mission statement:
“We don’t need a prophet. We don’t need a hero. We need each other.”
— Ella Baker (quoted by Eddie Glaude Jr.)

Proud to represent TWU Local 556 in this space and proud of what we actually did—the slide deck reflects:

TWU 556 showing U P 
solidarity postcard (we all wrote one)
🔥 moments with David Huerta (SEIU), Evelyn DeJesus (AFT), and Samuel Epps
community service blanket project
and capturing Local 556’s leaders and member activists across activities.

We also engaged in nonviolence training that taught discipline, deepened our understanding of power structures, and renewed our vision + resolve for a more just future for ALL workers.

I came home more committed, grounded, and clear that
we can’t just“hope” our way to justice—we organize and 
make it reality.✊🏽🖤

09/20/2025

The cover shot is of TWU Local 556’s first ever president!

I don’t really understand the need to point out that we represent the “most flight attendants” at TWU when we have such an important relationship with Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), but this video is still worth your few minutes of attention! https://youtu.be/Qil3DfXSc7sch

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

09/20/2025

Common Manipulation Tactics to Watch Out For
(aka: how people sound convincing without saying much):

1. Dog Whistle
➤ Coded language that hides extreme views in plain sight.

2. Straw Man
➤ Twisting someone’s point to make it easier to attack.

3. Loaded Example
➤ Picking one emotional story to make you react, not think.

4. Poisoning the Well
➤ Making someone look bad before they even speak.

5. White Victim Inversion
➤ Acting like the dominant group is being oppressed.

6. Zero-Sum Narrative
➤ Pretending one group’s gain is another’s loss.

7. Scapegoating
➤ Blaming someone for a problem they didn’t cause.

8. False Claim
➤ Just saying something wrong—loudly and confidently.

9. Anchor
➤ Repeating a phrase so it sticks in your head.

10. Authority Framing
➤ Acting like an expert to get trust (even if you’re not).

11. Inoculating
➤ Telling people how to think about something before they hear it.

12. Moral Laundering
➤ Making a bad idea sound noble or reasonable.

13. Weaponization
➤ Giving people tools—and excuses—to act aggressively.

14. Plausible Deniability
➤ Saying something shady but vague, so you can deny it later.

15. Flooding the Zone
➤ Throwing out so much info that no one can fact-check it all.

16. Specificity Illusion
➤ Using fake or random details to sound legit.

17. Fallacy
➤ An argument that sounds smart but is logically flawed.

18. Trojan Horse Messaging
➤ Hiding dangerous ideas inside friendly language.

19. Impression Management
➤ Acting smart, calm, or kind just to win people over.

20. Unverifiable Statement
➤ Something that feels true—but can’t be proven.

09/06/2025

The message is LOUD & CLEAR 📣

09/06/2025

I am pleased to share two important updates impacting our day-to-day lives as Flight Attendants. First, I’ll address the recent confusion regarding inflight WiFi and texting access for Crew Members following Southwest Airlines’ announcement of complimentary connectivity for Rapid Rewards Members. Second, I’ll share the latest information on the claim-at-gate process for Crew Bags, including steps you can take to ensure compliance and protect your personal items.

Tap here to read more: https://twu556.org/wifi-update-2/

In Solidarity,

Sam Wilkins
TWU Local 556 1st Vice President

09/06/2025

Herb Kelleher himself signed it🚬🥃