“The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.“
Vince Lombardi
by Dan Van Minnen
We currently have 72 members in our local. There is a need for someone of you to step up and become a steward. It saddens me to hear people complain about their working conditions and knowingly allow Management to violate our agreement but yet fail to provide the Union with a statement. I mean that people are not requesting stewards nor filling out statements that allow the Union to investigate the situation but then they want to complain about what is happening or not happening when they know it is wrong!
The contract is your guide and you have a responsibility to enforce it just as your officers and stewards do! I took an oath to do so, yet each and every day I become disheartened when I see all the sweetheart deals that continue to go on. Do you people care about your place of employment? Do you care about your job? Do you care about your fellow coworkers? Do you care about your Union? Then please get involved in any way that you can.
It is not just about filing grievances; there are safety committees that require immediate attention and there are legislative issues that require involvement. When was the last time you contacted one of your senators or congressman? Are you giving to COPA? Try becoming involved with one of these issues. Our PSEs are depending on our survival, not only as a company but as a Union. Do you think that you could care enough about them the way that those before us cared enough about us? Our legacy will be defined by our collective efforts. We make a decent wage and have great benefits because of our ability to collectively bargain with our employer. Don’t ever forget that and, if you do forget that, then don’t bother saying goodbye when you leave because you were never a part of the struggle to begin with!