By Jessica Fields, AFGE 1658
Imagine your life without the union. Imagine a world where no union ever existed. No eight hour workday, no forty hour workweek, no weekends. No work-man’s compensation, no healthcare plans, no retirement benefits. Since there are no child labor laws, there’s no such thing as childhood. Unsafe working conditions are the norm. Disparate treatment is rampant for women or mi-norities or LGBT workers. The worksite is inaccessible for those with disabilities. History bears out what workers can suf-fer when employers operate without checks and balances. Consider the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, the radium watch dial girls and the Memphis sanitation worker. Such fates are unimaginable to us, because we live in a world that is transformed by collective bargaining.
The foundation of any union is an assertion of basic human dignity and a belief that we are stronger together than apart. Unions are found across the social spectrum: pipe fitters and actors; autoworkers and athletes; nurses and police officers. Solidarity binds us together, and our varied perspectives coalesce into a unified voice. Despite our differences, we become a sort of family – sisters and brothers – and pool our resources for the collective good. Through collective bargaining we change the quality of life in our workplace. One individual is transformed into a force for societal change. Holy smokes! The very idea of a union is a revolutionary act.
Your union is so much more than the full-time employees and elected officials. The un-ion is you. You are the union. The union is most effective when its members invest and participate. Our union encompasses an in-credible assortment of talent and experience and education.
The question becomes what can’t we accom-plish if we were to flex our collective strength! What if we increased our lobbying of political representatives? What if we spoke positively and proudly of our union? What if we peer reviewed our resumes and increased scholarships and promoted union values into leader-ship positions? There is so much the union can still accomplish. We stand on the solid foundations that past unions were able to construct. We can add our own chapter to this great labor history. Speak your mind, lend your skills, teach a class, bring a new mem-ber, come to meetings, sign a petition, get involved politically, support other Federal unions – but do something.
Any other future is, well, terrifying.
