Region II Director

Welcomed to the Southwest Airlines family in 2006. Worked Line RON, Hangar RON, Day Line and Day Structures while at SWA. Held active positions in AMFA as Shop Representative, Area Representative, Professional Standards, Vice President of Local 18, Co-Chair of committee in re-establishing Local 4, and Informational Picket Committee member. Participated in every AMFA/SWAPA/TWU556 picket events for 2016. With each position came certain responsibilities. The most important is Passion for our membership to be the best at each position held. In doing so, it meant taking the effort to actively engage the membership at crew meetings and station visits. Having face-to-face meetings/visits allowed questions to be answered with any updates on our association provided. By being active allowed for our collective concerns to be addressed within the scope of that position. The challenge is not only for myself, is that the members take ownership of being active/knowledgeable with the union, industry and the company so that we will be making the best decisions for our futures and that of our families when looking forward to a retirement on our terms.

Let us not seek to fix the blame for our past – let us accept our own responsibility for the future.

Prior to working at Southwest Airlines, Will's aviation career began in the U.S. Navy, followed by AirTran Airways, Delta Airlines, Omni Air International.

My name is Michael P. Nelson.  I have worked for Southwest Airlines (SWA) as an Aircraft Mechanic since January 15, 1996 and I have been a line mechanic at Kansas City International Airport since May of 2010.

I have also been your Region 2 Director since January, 2013. My initial term concluded on October 7, 2016, but undertakings following the National Executive Council (NEC) elections lead to a vacancy in the Region 2 Director position. Following these endeavors, I was asked by the newly elected NEC to remain in office as the interim Regional 2 Director until the subsequent election; an offer which I accepted. Although I did not run for reelection in the initial campaign, unforeseen events have taken place which forced me to reconsider.

The paramount mission of my initial term as Regional 2 Director was co-chairing contract negotiations for the Southwest Maintenance Technicians & Related (AMT). With the understanding that in the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association’s (AMFA) structure, the Local Airline Representatives (ALR) are the voting members of the negotiation committee and being that there are four (4) SWA ALRs on the committee, each vote has the potential to result in a tie. Therefore, the onus of breaking a tie vote of the ALRs on any issue falls to the Regional Director. Thorough knowledge and cohesive views of the issues are crucial attributes that the Regional 2 Director must possess on day one. The fotter is gone from these negotiations and the fate of any remaining critical issues that end in a tie vote of the ALRs will ultimately be decided by the next Region 2 Director.

Furthermore, I have served two terms as the Local 32 ALR. As ALR, I have participated in multiple System Boards of Adjustments and have adamantly defended our contract language against some of the same people who now sit across the table from me on the company’s negotiating committee. I have been involved in months of “Aeroman” negotiations and the entire AMT “White Book” negotiations with these same individuals from the company. I have firsthand knowledge of how and why current issues have evolved and I will absolutely need no learning period to establish my level of trust regarding the people who I am dealing with in these AMT negotiations.

If realized, our AMFA membership has endless power to force resolutions both within and directly related to the Association.

Please vote.