Member profile

Q&A

E tū member and flight attendant Chloe Potae has created a brand-new app for her and her union workmates to share knowledge and information more easily. Flight attendants work all over the country and the world, so good digital communication is essential. We had a chat with Chloe about her cool initiative!

What’s your story?

Ko Rākairoa ki Harataunga toku maraeKo Ngāti Porou raua ko Ngāti Pūkenga ōku iwiNo Whitianga ahauKo Chloe Potae ahau
My name is Chloe and I’m from Whitianga in the Coromandel Peninsula. I moved to Auckland in 2022 after joining Air New Zealand as a flight attendant, and joined E tū.

Tell us how this app came about.

I had noticed that our aviation communications and information were spread out across multiple platforms, and the work our delegates put into sharing that info out could get missed. I saw that there was a need for a new way of communicating within our union group, and so I went home and made something.

After floating the idea with my organiser, the ball kind of just got rolling! What I had made was honestly only meant to be a concept, and to demonstrate what I thought we needed – and what I thought we could use! E tū encouraged me to continue with the work and I continued to make what I had envisioned.

What are the main uses of the app?

The priority use will be to streamline the communications that exist already into one place, and a place to house and categorise the important info our delegates put so much work into. We also have multiple calculators that will enable crew to stay informed about contractual rest rules and provisions, allowances, and duty payments, all within a finger’s reach!

What are the challenges with using and developing new tech like this?

Meeting everyone’s needs, especially around accessibility.

How can other members follow your example?

Get curious! Our union has so much to offer, and developing and utilising your skills is what I think unionism is all about.

Have you got a message for your fellow E tū members?

Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t understand something, or that you think something isn’t right or isn’t working. This is where it begun for me, if I’m honest. I only really got this involved in the union simply because I wanted to know more about our contractual rules and understand them more. Then, before I knew it, I was able to offer a solution to an issue I had noticed myself. Be the change you want to see!