Saturday, September 21, 2019

Connecticut Blitz 2019

This week I had the privilege to participate in the AFT Public Employees weeklong #ConnecticutBlitz2019. Although we couldn’t be there every minute due to schedules, Jan and I spent as much time as we could in the training and door knocking because AFT Connecticut believes we are only as strong as our members are engaged.

This week activists in #AndRUnion, Save Vo-Tech Schools, UHP University Health Professionals Local 3837, APEA-Alaska Public Employees Association, KOSE - Kansas Organization of State Employees signed up over 60 managerial & exempt #CTStateWorkers in #MandEUnited

I want to thank every who participated and shared their time, their knowledge, and their friendship. It was great to meet new friends from Alaska, Illinois and Kansas and deepen friendships with old friends.
These weeklong mobilizations that start on Saturday and run straight though Friday are grueling. Days start at sunrise and end after sunset. Teams leaflet buildings, hold site meetings, receive training on mapping the workplace, charting, the “organizing conversation” and other aspects of building worker power and finish the day with house visits and a debrief.
Yeah, it’s a lot of work.
Yeah, it’s intense.
But hear this.
It’s life changing.

Being in a union isn’t about wages, benefits and working conditions.
It’s about respect.
Being in a union isn’t about a contract.
It’s about a voice and worker’s power.
And a union isn’t the elected leadership or staff.
It’s the members.

Thank you to my sisters and brothers of the mobilization. Solidarity.

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