This March, Local 502 member Bill Brand was elected to Redondo Beach, California’s City Council. Brand has been a TWU member working for American Airlines for more than 30 years and is currently a Fleet Service Crew Chief on the ramp at Los Angeles International Airport.


Brand has always demonstrated a strong work ethic, dedication and desire to better himself and the world around him. During his 30 years with AA he balanced part time shifts with class and study time to earn degrees in Chemical Engineering from California State University and an MBA with a concentration in finance from the University of Southern California. 


Brand’s recent election followed an impressive demonstration of dedication to his community and to democracy. The City of Redondo Beach wanted to rezone their waterfront to accommodate a large real estate development plan despite community opposition. Brand helped shepherd two successful referendums and ran a campaign that won an advisory vote. Then he co-authored an initiative that amended the City Charter to always require a public vote whenever there are significant changes to allowable development. The initiative won the public vote by 58 percent in November 2008. 


Brand’s outspoken leadership on behalf of his neighbors and community led to his election to the City Council this past March, where he continues to fight for the public’s right to protect their land.
 “The job is what I expected,” he said. “I feel honored and a strong obligation to do the best job that I can for the future of my city.”


Brand credits much of his political success to the TWU and its support of his campaign. “It was great to have both the moral and financial support of my union brothers and sisters in the community,” Brand said. “Plus the COPE fund provided me one of my single largest campaign contributions.” He encourages TWU members to donate to COPE because of its role helping to elect like-minded and labor friendly people to influential positions. Visit the legislative page on twu.org to join COPE.