Sam Hensley - SFO

I’ve been at Skywest since 2016. I commuted for the first 5yrs but now fly from home in SFO. I’ve been based in ORD, DFW and LAX and I’m happy to have had the opportunity to fly around the country and work with many different flight attendants in many different bases. Flying in different regions has given me a well-rounded perspective of trips and the diverse group of flight attendants we have at SkyWest. I have truly enjoyed hearing the many different stories of my colleagues, as well as sharing mine with you.

Coming from several decades of being in management, (in a different, but still low wage, labor intense industry) I can tell you firsthand, it is possible for management to work with employees to achieve the best possible working conditions, pay and benefits. I’ve seen how well employees respond to being treated fairly and with respect. I’ve also seen the push back from company owners/officials while advocating for my employees but that didn’t stop me. In the end, we found a balance of surpassing goals to sustain the business which in turn lead to improvements to QOL, pay and benefits forthe employees.

I’d like to see us get a legally binding structure, with the help of AFA, to hold our management and company accountable to a contract we all agree to. I was unaware that our flight attendant group was organizing for a union until I was engaged by Michelle White on one of our company Forums. She helped me see that our flight attendants ARE organizing for a union, and I was truly impressed how organized and professional the group was. I instantly wanted to be involved! I believe that with a united backing from other AFA flight attendant groups,at 21 different airlines, we can and will have a contract that will provide better pay, benefits and quality of life.