United Pilot Advances ALPA Interests as State AFL-CIO Board Member

 

F/O Dave Anfora (United) is an excellent example of the adage if you can see it, you can achieve it. Growing up in Bayonne, N.J., he routinely marveled at the airliners at Newark Liberty International Airport on the far side of Newark Bay and dreamed of becoming a pilot. Little could he have imagined that he’d one day fly commercial aircraft from those very same runways—and that he’d draw from his flying experience and other encounters as a New Jersey resident to help advance state labor and aviation policy.

In December 2024, Anfora was appointed on behalf of ALPA to serve as an Executive Board member of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO. According to its website, the organization “is an umbrella group of unions representing more than 1 million working men and women and their families. The state federation is a charter organization of the national AFL-CIO, which represents more than 12.5 million workers across the country in a wide range of occupations, from bricklayers and machinists to nurses, firefighters, and teachers.”

To help Anfora better serve in this new capacity and to familiarize himself with the Association’s most pressing policy matters, he attended ALPA’s Legislative Summit in early June. Anfora took part in detailed briefings, covering issues like the dangers of reduced-crew operations (RCO) on the airline flight deck.

During the summit’s Capitol Hill visits, he and other ALPA pilots asked their members of Congress to send letters to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, urging the United States to oppose any such changes to crew complement. However, three House representatives from New Jersey didn’t immediately respond to this request.

Two weeks later, Anfora was in Atlantic City attending the New Jersey AFL-CIO Legislative Conference. The B-767/757 pilot engaged in group discussions about recent air traffic control outages, the outdated infrastructure, and the severe shortage of controllers at Newark Liberty, as well as the changes that need to be made.

Anfora also participated on a committee examining artificial intelligence and its effect on jobs and the workplace. As enhanced technology drives efforts to promote RCO, Anfora had an important perspective to share about the motivation by some in the airline industry to reduce current crew complement rules in a clear effort to prioritize profits over safety.

During the conference, Anfora spoke with New Jersey AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech, asking if he’d approach the three New Jersey federal lawmakers who had yet to write the Transportation secretary about the risks associated with RCO. The state labor leader agreed and within a week, all three elected officials had joined the effort.

Focused on flying since his childhood, Anfora secured a B.S. degree in aeronautical science from Dowling College. “I earned all my licenses and ratings through the school and used this experience to springboard into several aviation-related jobs, including serving as a flight instructor, flying traffic watch for local television and radio news programs, and doing some local charter work,” he remarked.

Anfora flew for CommuteAir from 2003–2007 before being hired by Continental Airlines. Five years later, Continental merged with United Airlines.

 

With the birth of his son in 2011, Anfora took advantage of state employee benefits, learning about and filing for family-leave insurance. Because of the knowledge he’d acquired, Anfora was asked to help others within the pilot group who had similar needs. He soon became his local council’s Parental Issues Committee chair and later the Master Executive Council Parental Issues vice chair. While the Parental Issues Committee morphed into the Family Issues Committee over time, Anfora worked in these capacities for nearly a decade before opting to take a break.

About a year ago, he got a call from Capt. Steve Scheri (United), chair of Local Executive Council 5, who indicated there was a vacancy for the state labor position. Scheri thought that given Anfora’s background, he’d be a good candidate. “At this stage of my life, I was ready to get involved and volunteer again,” Anfora acknowledged.

“This role feels like coming home,” he said. “I was born and raised in New Jersey in a blue-collar labor environment and have lived here all my life. This job is an incredible opportunity, and I really feel like I can make a difference.”

This article was originally published in the August 2025 issue of Air Line Pilot.