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From Skycap to Alderman: Lopez Says Airport Job Prepared Him for City Hall

 Alderman-elect Raymond Lopez visits former co-workers Wednesday at Midway Airport, where he worked as a skycap for 12 years.
Alderman-elect Raymond Lopez visits former co-workers Wednesday at Midway Airport, where he worked as a skycap for 12 years.
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DNAinfo/Andrea V. Watson

MIDWAY — As an elderly traveler pulled up to the curb outside Midway Airport, Raymond Lopez grabbed the man's bag and pulled it up to the kiosk where Southwest Airlines passengers were checking in.

Although just elected to the City Council Tuesday, Lopez was just doing what came naturally: He had been a skycap for Southwest Airlines for 12 years before he stepped down to campaign for the 15th Ward.

“It never gets old, seeing those airplanes,” said Lopez, 36.

Lopez, who handily won Tuesday's runoff election, was all smiles as he returned to his former work site at Midway to meet with old co-workers, whom he described as family. There were lots of hugs and jokes.

“Hey, alderman!” a customer service agent shouted from across the check-in lobby before engulfing Lopez in a big hug. Lopez had a grin plastered on his face as he greeted worker after worker at the airport, where he worked until January.

 Raymond Lopez visits former co-workers at Midway Airport, the day after his aldermanic election victory.  He worked as a Southwest Airlines skycap for 12 years before leaving the job in January.
Raymond Lopez visits former co-workers at Midway Airport, the day after his aldermanic election victory. He worked as a Southwest Airlines skycap for 12 years before leaving the job in January.
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DNAinfo/Andrea V. Watson

Scott Haberkamp, 36, worked with Lopez for 10 years and said that Lopez has always been a hard worker, but he was also fun to work with.

"He’s a funny guy, but really good worker, hard worker,” he said. “We will miss him, but he’s moving on to bigger and better things.”

Mike Doyle, 52, another former co-worker, worked with Lopez for 10 years and said that he wasn’t surprised when Lopez announced he was running for alderman.

“I think it’s in his blood,” Doyle said. “He’s a great guy, and I know he will do really well.

Josalyn Christmas, a customer service agent, has worked with the company for 20 years and has known Lopez for 12.

“Raymond is wonderful and very community-oriented,” she said, adding that he would always organize coat and food drives. He was head of the Southwest Culture Committee, which encouraged employees to participate in community outreach initiatives.

“Our job here is about customer service, and he has always been at the forefront to help. He has been active in public service,” Christmas said.

Lopez has actually worked in politics since he was 18 and living in the 23rd Ward, when a neighbor suggested he get involved. Although he doesn't have any relatives in politics, he ran for alderman in 2011 and became Democratic committeeman for the ward in 2012.

But he never envisioned becoming a skycap, a job that involved being outside year-round, greeting passengers and carrying a lot of luggage. He was initially turned down for an office job with the airline, so applied for the skycap job instead at a friend's urging.

“To be honest, I didn’t even know what it was, and unless you’re like a jet-setter, you probably don’t know what a skycap is. I really didn’t want to apply for it,” he said.

He now has no regrets about taking the job.

“I was very apprehensive and didn’t know if I wanted to be out in the elements five days a week, 52 weeks out of the year, but it’s probably the second-best job I’ll have in my entire life, alderman being first,” Lopez said.

And he thinks the job has prepared him for what's in store for him on the Council.

“Anyone who has ever been in an airport knows that things do not always go smoothly; same applies to being in a ward,” Lopez said. “What I’ve learned is even if the situation is not your fault, you have to leave people knowing that you at least cared enough about the situation."

He added: “Southwest has taught me that a lot of times, there are things outside of our control — weather, mechanical issues, plane issues, delays. And what we’ve been famous for as a company is that we take ownership of these problems. We don’t just blame it on somebody else and say, ‘Well I didn’t do it.’ No, you take ownership of the problem and then you work to resolve it as best you can.”

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