Wonder What Unions Do? Here’s a Sample

by Mike Hall, Dec 30, 2006

After watching her local go through several rounds of tough contract negotiations, Christine Campbell, a bus operator for the Denver Regional Transit Authority, decided to get involved. “If you don’t like what is going on, you have to get active.”

There’s so much going on at AFL-CIO unions that it’s impossible for us to regularly cover the range of action. So we thought we’d share a sample from several union websites that give a glimpse of the range of events, programs and member involvement in their unions. We’ll follow up on Jan. 1 with more news.

The Transport Workers (ATU) profile several of their political and legislative activists, including Lisa Thompson of Seattle’s ATU Local 587, who says this about her recent Labor 2006 efforts:

When I volunteer, I feel like making a difference in this world. If we don’t get involved and elect people who will represent our interests, things could get pretty bad, pretty quickly.

Click here to read all the profiles.

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AFSCME is continuing its Alternative Union Break program for college seniors who are looking for something a little more substantial than a beer and tan on their break. This year there are three sessions: Jan. 7–12, March 11–16 and March 18–23.

David Luu, an Alternative Break alum says:

This was an awesome experience. I wanted to know more about organizing and workers’ rights. Over the course of the week, I learned the problems that workers face in the community, developed my communication skills and became part of the solution.”

Click here for more info.

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The Postal Workers (APWU) are voting on a new contract with the U.S. Postal Service, and the union is using the vote to boost its organizing. The APWU is sending ratification packets to nonmembers complete with a union sign-up card (The USPS is an open shop where the union must represent all workers, but employees are not obligated to join the union.)

In the packet, APWU President William Burrus writes: 

If you approve of these changes, the only way you can have a voice in whether or not they are enacted is if you become a union member.

The stakes are too high for you to defer to others the decision on your future pay raises, cost-of-living adjustments and upgrade. The issues are too important to leave to others the decision on whether PTFs will be converted to full-time regular, whether you will be guaranteed bereavement leave and whether you will receive many other benefits.”

Click here to read more.

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Radio listeners and music lovers aren’t the only ones suffering from media consolidation, hearing repetitive short and narrow play lists developed by corporate wonks and number crunchers. Performers are suffering, too.

Here’s what country legend George Jones, an Radio and Television Artists (AFTRA) member, told a recent Federal Communications Commission hearing examining media consolidation:

I can play to packed houses in Europe and have made recordings with everyone from Ray Charles to Keith Richards, as well as today’s top country artists, many of whom I consider to be a part of my family as a son or daughter. However, the consolidation of the radio industry has kept me from being played on the radio.

Click here to read more from Jones, Porter Wagoner, Dobie Gray and other AFTRA members and here to read what Dixie Carter, a Desperate Housewife, Designing Woman and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) member says about media consolidation and it impact on actors.

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You can get the latest news and features about Fire Fighters (IAFF) at the union’s Local Scene website.

Included among the features is a profile of retired IAFF Local 122 member Jack Flood and his work with Food for the Poor that distributes provisions in Latin America and the Caribbean. There’s also an item on IAFF Local 22’s fight to get Philadelphia to honor its contract and a feature on Local 4321 IAFF members in Broward County, Fla., working with some well-know professional football players to replace stolen holiday toys that were destined for 400 young cancer patients.

Click here for all the stories.

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Speaking of football, if you are a sports fan, check out the National Football league Players Association (NFLPA) website for the latest news from around the league, information on players’ charity and other community work. Fascinating for football fans. Click here.

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