Home Town Pride: Lodge 811 Continues A Long-Standing Commitment to Community Service with Annual Toy Drive for Pediatric Cancer Patients

Commitment To the Community: Local 811 Toy Drive for Pediatric Cancer Patients

Local Lodge 811’s Women’s Committee recently dropped off a large donation of toys from their latest toy collection project for Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas.

In previous years the local donated any type of toy to all children at the hospital, but this time, the committee chose to collect specific toys for bed-ridden pediatric cancer patients: puzzles, word games, books, and hand-held electronics.

Local 811 Secretary Treasurer Sarah Monderoy Garcia has been on the Women’s Committee since 2013. She, Lodge 811 Vice President Nelson Yanes, Trustee Adrienne Coleman, Charlotte Lazard, and Evelita Everitt make up 811’s Women’s Committee, which is continually collecting donations for different organizations.

“We’re always doing some type of drive, whether it’s toiletries, clothing, or toys. We like to target different areas of need in the community,” said Garcia.

The committee encouraged members to bring donations to union meetings and advertised with flyers on the break-room bulletin boards at George Bush Intercontinental Houston Airport (IAH) where Local 811 members work for United Airlines as ramp service employees, ground crew, and stores material specialists (members who work side-by-side with mechanics to provide parts for planes).

The committee strategically decides to host their toy drives in the summer time, the “off-season,” because hospitals typically receive an abundance of toy donations over the holidays but are running low and have new patients come summer.

Richard Johnsen, General Vice President of the Machinists’ newly formed Air Transport Territory, expressed optimism that the Machinists and the ALU could forge a strong alliance. “We are more than just unions,” said Johnsen. “We’re also part of a movement. People are tired of sitting on the sidelines. They want to act, they want to make changes. That’s why this campaign at JetBlue is so exciting; it’s a vital part of a larger movement to prove that working people deserve just as much respect as managers and executives.”

Johnsen also pledged to work closely with the ALU, including hammering out a potential agreement to open the renowned Winpisinger Education Center to ALU members. “The Winpisinger Center is the largest labor school in North America,” he said. “It has an expert teaching staff that holds classes on things that matter to unions. Things like contract negotiations, leadership training, arbitration, organizing and more. It’ll be a great asset to JetBlue Crewmembers once they come on board, and I hope that ALU members will look into the opportunity to find out more about the Winpisinger Center.”

Justice Department Expected to Block JetBlue / Spirit Merger

DOJ Expected to Block JetBlue / Sprit MergerIAM141.org March 6, 2023According to two anonymous sources familiar with the matter, the Justice Department plans to file a lawsuit as early as Tuesday to prevent JetBlue's proposed $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit...

Machinists Union emerges as leader in US labor organizing

Machinists Union emerges as leader in US labor organizingGoIAM.org February 15, 2023According to data from Bloomberg Law, the Machinists Union, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, has emerged as the leading union in the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) union election...

The Resilience of Labor Unions: A Look at the Latest BLS Data

The Resilience of Labor Unions: A Look at the Latest BLS DataIAM141.org January 31, 2023The most recent jobs summary by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that union membership in the U.S. decreased from 10.3% in 2021 to 10.1% in 2022. The change marks the lowest...

Broken Promises: Informational Picket Draws Crowds at LAX

Broken Promises: Informational Picket Draws Massive Turnout at LAXIAM141.org January 25, 2023Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) - A coalition of unions representing all unified workers at United Airlines held an informational picket on Wednesday at LAX Airport in...

Related News

Kris N Treder Named New District 141 EAP Midwest Regional Coordinator

Kris N Treder Named New District 141 EAP Midwest Regional Coordinator

Kris N Treder Named New District 141 EAP Midwest Regional CoordinatorIAM141.org March 15, 2023IAMAW District President Mike Klemm and EAP Director Bryan Hutchinson have appointed Kris N Treder to serve as the new District 141 Midwest Regional Coordinator. Kris will...

Michigan Senate Passes Right to Work Repeal

Michigan Senate Passes Right to Work Repeal

Michigan Senate Passes Right to Work RepealIAM141.org March 15, 2023On Tuesday, the Michigan Senate passed a bill to revoke the state's right-to-work legislation, which permits employees in unionized positions to collect union-negotiated wages, pensions, and work...

Share This