IAM Transportation Appoints Three Associate Organizers

March 1, 2022

IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. has appointed Nicole Fears, Charlie Hines, and Arther Jackson as Associate Organizers to the Transportation Department.

“I’m excited about the potential each of them brings to the table to grow our great union,” said Richard Johnsen, IAM Chief of Staff to the International President. “All three have a unique perspective of the airline industry and the labor movement. This is a critical step toward growing our union both in strength and in numbers.”

“I look forward to working with each of them,” said IAM Transportation Coordinator Edison Fraser. “The skills and knowledge of the industry they bring with them to the job is invaluable.” 

Nicole L. Fears became an ExpressJet Flight Attendant in 1994 and was elected as a Shop Steward for IAM Local 2339c in 1996. She also served as the Educator to her local lodge. In 2000, she became the first Black woman to be elected President of Local 2339C in Ohio.

She helped assist and organize CommuteAir Flight Attendants to join the IAM, and in 2011 Fears went on to assist in the merger of ExpressJet and Atlantic Southeast Airlines, bringing a combined membership of 2,200 to the IAM. In 2017, Fears was elected as ExpressJet Vice President for District 142, and led the Women’s Committee in Atlanta for the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. She also studied labor relations at the National Labor College.

Charlie Hines became an IAM member in 2001 as a Fleet Service Agent for US Airways, joining Local 1725 in Charlotte. He was elected to Shop Steward in 2010 and served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Southern Piedmont Central Labor Council and Vice President of the Executive Board of the North Carolina AFL-CIO. Hines also served as Secretary-Treasurer for the North Carolina State Council of Machinists.  

Hines has assisted with many organizing efforts, including the Southern Region National JELD-WEN Campaign and several airline campaigns. He holds an associate’s degree in business applied science and business administration, and a certificate in business administration with a specialization in business management.  

Arther Jackson joined the IAM in 1987 after going to work for United Airlines in San Francisco. In 1994, he was elected Shop Steward for the San Francisco Ramp, and was also appointed as Safety Committeeman for Fleet Service. In 1999, Jackson was elected Ramp Committeeman, and in 2002 he was elected as Chairman of the Grievance Committee.

Jackson was elected Vice President of Local 1781 in 2003, and in 2004 he was elected Assistant General Chairman for District 141. In 2013, he was elected President of Local 1781, becoming a District 141 Organizer in 2018. Jackson holds a bachelor’s of professional studies from SUNY Empire State College’s Center for Labor Studies.