Are You In The Game?

There is a huge amount of excitement generated when a sports team is playing well and dominating the competition; but in most cases, only the most visible members receive any attention from the fans or the media. However, would those “superstars” be as good as they are without the other members of the team doing their jobs for the benefit of the entire team?

Being a member of a labor union is no different. We are a team that must work together in order to move all of us forward. This is not to say that we are not responsible for our specific jobs, which by providing our employers our best allows the business to move forward, but we must also provide our best to our union in order to move the union forward.

There are many things that each of us can do to achieve this goal. The first thing that all of us need to do is to show pride in being members of this union. This is something that is frustrating when I see and hear from members that the only time that they acknowledge their member status is when something affects them. We must each realize that a challenge to one member is a challenge to all of us. We need to show the employer and our communities that we are a proud and important group to be recognized and appreciated.

All members should become involved in meetings, open houses, political meetings, anything that the union puts on to educate the members as to what things are happening in our union. Members should also read and obtain information on work stoppages and boycotts called for by other unions to show solidarity and support to all of our brothers and sisters around the world.

For those members who have the time and the courage to take on more, consider becoming a steward at your place of work. You are the first line of defense in protecting the members of our team from contract violations in the workplace. Classes are given by the union to train you. By attending the classes, you will be able to determine if being a steward is your calling. This job is not for everyone, but for those who take the challenge the leadership you show can be a source of personal pride and growth.

Working on political endorsement choices made by our union can offer the member a chance to help choose those politicians who are most likely to be understanding of our members needs. In the groups you can work on the questions each politician, regardless of party affiliation, will be asked to answer in the hopes that they will receive our union’s endorsement of their candidacy. You can truly make history and have the chance to meet in person the candidates who will lead our state and our nation.

You might be interested in informing our members of things that affect them by explaining different facts about unions in a written format by writing in this column. Knowledge is power. Share your power with all of us, and help move us forward.

Each time the contract expires, a negotiation team must be formed to help us win a fair and just new workplace agreement. Members of these teams are elected by co-workers to serve during negotiation sessions, as well as to draw up our demands on the employer for improvements in our workplace lives. You will need to make sure you have time in your personal life to attend many negotiation sessions, as well as being brave during sessions that can become very contentious to both sides. I wish to offer my sincere thanks to my co-workers at Methodist the honor of representing you this past year on this team. It was my pleasure to serve you, and an honor I shall cherish the rest of my life.

The executive board is made up of members who make the decisions of member’s requests that cannot be made at the workplace, as well as member’s disagreements with the union. Again, to be on this team you will need to make certain that personal time issues will not interfere with your attendance at monthly meetings at the union hall.

You can even choose to run for the leadership of our local union. Our leaders are chosen and elected by us to serve for specific terms just as our elected officials are. These are the people we entrust our cause to, as well as entrusting our union’s economic strength. We owe it to ourselves to choose those individuals who will move our cause forward and lead our union in a positive and respectful way. I thank our current leaders; President Schnell, Secretary-Treasurer Davis, and Executive Vice President Ugen for their leadership and direction for our local, and hopes for our union’s future.

These are just a few areas of leadership each of us can pursue in our union’s life. It is up to each of us to do whatever we can and whatever it takes to improve our union. We are only as strong as our members choose to make us.

In a slight change to a slogan that has always meant so much, but even a new direction for me must begin with a change to my phrase, I leave you with this brothers and sisters…

Solidarity Today, Solidarity Tomorrow, and Solidarity Always…

IN ALL WAYS!!!

Yours in SEIU pride and solidarity,

Mark Freeman
Methodist Hospital