As far as I know the apa1224 emergency line works fine and is answered for all members. Sometimes there is a delay (minutes) where you may be on hold as the phone tree works. If nobody picks up for a while, you’ll wind up on the phone with BK directly.
If someone calls and the emergency line doesn’t work, that’s actually a significant problem and it needs to be addressed immediately. I’d suggest emailing stewards with the specifics of when you called, when you got a response, etc.
While it’s clear to me that DC-8 is joking, we should probably make crystal-clear that politics don’t factor in emergency support provided by the union. If you’re a dues-paying member, we will support you.