The TWU Women's Committee was formed to fill a clear need for union women to collaborate and learn from each other; members genuinely adhere to their powerful motto "Each one, teach one." Since the seed of the WC was planted over ten years ago in the form of a subcommittee within the Civil and Human Rights Committee with eleven appointees, it has grown to include the regular participation of more than 100 TWU women and several TWU men.

Today, both the Transit and Air Divisions and some locals have their own Women's Committees called Working Women's Committees (WWCs) and they are continuing to grow at the local level out of the dedication of women involved with their Division WWCs.

The great success of WWC pioneers is a testimony to the importance of a Committee dedicated to women and their specific concerns. Examples of ground-breaking TWU women leaders and Women's Committee pioneers include: Director of Transit, Utility, University and Services Division and Administrative VP Susan Resch, Director of the Civil and Human Rights Committee and current Chair of the WWC Sandra Burleson, Director of the Department of Legislative and Political Affairs Portia Reddick White, President of Local 101 Marsha Spinowitz, Sec. Treasurer of Local 101 Josephine Arroyo, Organizer Linda Dill, Local 502 Rec, Secretary Sharon Polk and many other local officers.

"The Women's Committee is the reason I am here today," said the first Chair of the ATD WWC and Organizer Linda Dill. "It allowed a platform of education and volunteering opportunities I wanted to be a part of, that growth led me to a chance to become an Organizer within our TWU."

Other TWU women leaders share Dill's sentiments. Director of the Transit Division Susan Resch said, "I've always felt the support among all the leadership in the TWU in recognizing the role that women play in the union, but the assistance of my sisters really gave me the re-enforcement I needed to know I could make a difference in a leadership role."

"There is a clear connection between women in the Committees and those taking leadership positions in their Locals," said Burleson. "When we first started we had no women leaders in the Air Division at all and now we have evolved to the point where many women are holding higher offices and are on Executive Boards."

Director of the DLPA Portia Reddick White, formerly a Southwest flight attendant and the first co-chair of the ATD WWC, explained that many union women who were performing non-traditional female jobs, such as fleet service clerks, were not becoming involved in the union the same way men were. In a male dominated world, some women felt they wouldn't be taken seriously, others did not feel confident enough to initiate necessary changes on their own behalf.

"So, we saw the situation where there was a void and a necessity to help move women into leadership roles and we started to do so," said Reddick White. "Today I see women who are much more poised and have more self-esteem and are expressing how they feel and what they need. We've come a long way."

The Transit Division, which historically has had more women members and leaders than other TWU Divisions, has seen an increase in female leadership since the start of the WC.

Support from Union Brothers
When he was Director of the Air Transport Division, International President James C. Little, approached some women involved in local WWC's to help develop a Working Women's Committee specifically for the ATD. Today, as the Int'l President, Little continues to support and allot resources to the WC and WWC's, helping to foster their growth. "I recognized the need to get our union sisters more involved with the TWU and with the movement," said Little. "It was very important to me to make sure we had the voices of all our members represented, including women. The WWC has helped strengthen the union by successfully encouraging women to step into leadership roles." TWU Brothers are always welcome and encouraged to join the WWC; many male leaders at the local and International levels regularly participate.

There are a whole host of issues that affect us both," said Resch. "There are a lot of single parents, whether male or female. And everyone is interested in health care and getting updates on the issue; the WWC is a great place for us to share our individual stories and to network and be resources to each other." Recognizing Women Leaders Recently, Local 100 held it's 6th annual women's conference where Burleson, Resch and Spinowitz were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments: Resch is the first-ever female Int'l Admin. VP and Director of Transit of TWU; Burleson serves as both the head of TWU's Civil and Human Rights Department and the Women's Committe, and Spinowitz has served as president of TWU Local 101 for 23 years, making her the union's longest serving local president.

In early October the ATD Working Women's Committee met at the ATD headquarters for its third meeting of the year. At the meeting Local 513's Angi Tucker was elected Chair, Local 555's Margaret Sadler was elected Co-chair and Local 575's Diana Thomas was elected Secretary (shown in the photo on page 3).

Transit Division officers are: Chair, Local 171 President Delisa Brown and Secretary, Local 234 VP Allison Cooper.

Also, at the recent Coalition of Union Women (CLUW) Sandra Burleson was elected a Vice President, Sue Resch was elected to the executive board and Sharon Polk was elected an E-Board alternate. The women of the WC urge all TWU brothers and sisters to get involved with the Committees and to become members of CLUW. For more information go to www.CLUW.org.