They shouldn't have taken the peanut butter

The last few days have been amazing!

On Wednesday the Backus Nurses reached a tentative agreement on a 3 year contract and on Friday our membership overwhelmingly ratified it.

Yesterday our team was elected to the leadership of AFT Connecticut:

Jan Hochadel as President

Myself as Executive VP

Jean Morningstar as 1st VP

Ed Leavy as Secretary/Treasurer

Tomorrow I'm off to Chicago for the AFT/NFN Professional Issues Conference/Labor Academy.

I won't lie.  My voice may have been steady as I gave my speech before the convention, but my hands were not.  

Nerves, excitement, maybe both?

I told the story of the house visit to a nurse who decided to vote to unionize because the hospital had taken away the peanut butter that she used to feed her chemo patients, if they felt they could tolerate food.

It wasn't all they had taken from her, it was what they took from her patients that mattered.

I told the delegates that I would never stop fighting for people like that nurse.

In Jan, Jean and Ed, I have found 3 people who feel the same.

But then again, we are not only a union of professionals, we are a union of professionals who understand the frustration of my nurse and stand in solidarity with her.

It is an honor to be elected with Jan, Jean and Ed and our executive board VPs and to represent the 29,000 caring members from education, public service and healthcare.

Tonight I spoke with Glen Scott, the organizer who was with me when we visited the "peanut butter" nurse.  She remembers that visit too. Amazingly, she is visiting Chicago and we may get to see each other tomorrow.  That would be cool!

So many people and so many events have played a part to get us to this point. (including the peanut butter)

The future looks exciting.

Advocating in the workplace and the capital

My friend Lesa Hanson said that when she became involved with the organizing drive, she realized that being nurse meant advocating at the bedside, in the boardroom and in the capital. 

I was remembering this as I flew back from Washington after a day of lobbying.

There were a hundred other ways I could have spent my two days off this week, but advocating for patients, students and our members is part of who I am, part of being a nurse. 

This is an important part of what we do as a union and I'm glad to be able to be a part of advocating for changes.

We have a lot going on at the hospital the as we negotiate a new contract and the rest of my week will be devoted to making improvements for our hospital and for our members, but last night it was good to be back home with Michelle, knowing I did my part to advocate.

PLANs for AFT Connecticut

The PLANs ticket for AFT Connecticut is dedicated to the ideals of putting members first, open communication and collaboration, transparency, and long range strategic planning.

These principles are essential for the future of our state federation and the labor movement.

Next Saturday we will make a decision about the direction of our union.

The PLANs ticket of officers, jurisdictional, and at large vice presidents is ready to lead.

Jan brings teacher experience, John brings healthcare experience and Jean brings years of helping state workers.

They bring experience in both public and private sector unions, organizing, and relationships with AFT national and political allies.

Jan and Jean have extensive experience in leading large locals and John understands not only the challenges of leading a small local but of organizing it and building it from the ground up as well.

All three are respected advocates on the national level.

Perhaps more important, the ticket brings the voices and the ears of over 20 leaders who will each speak their own mind, each listen and be listened to and each contribute. 

There is much work to do, in organizing of healthcare facilities, in internal organizing, in staff and leadership development and in coalition building with AFT national and other unions.

There is no question as to the dedication of any of the candidates for office, but our state federation and the greater labor community needs more than commitment. It needs the skills to organize, plan and carry out that plan, and it needs transparency and openness to new ideas

.

The PLANs ticket provides what is needed.

We look forward to your support in the election and your involvement post-election.

A week celebrating educators, healthcare, and public servants

AFT is a "Union of Professionals", and represents education, health care, and public service workers. I like to call it a union of caregivers.

It is fitting that this week is Teacher Appreciation Week, National Nurses Week and Public Service Recognition Week, celebrating teachers, paraprofessionals and others who work in education, nurses, techs and other healthcare workers, and all who work in public service. 

All three groups are important and together we make up what is AFT.
I am proud that the PLANs ticket for AFT Connecticut officers includes Jan Hochadel's teaching experience, my healthcare experience, and Jean Morningstar's years of helping state workers and includes experience in both private and public sector unions.

Thank you to all our members for your service to your communities every day.

Our Vision for Change 4

The fourth principle and goal of our team is Organization. 
                                                     

The words in italics are from AFT- CT: Our Vision for Change

"Are we there yet?"

Every parent knows this phrase coming from the back of the car.

But shouldn't the real questions be where are we going and how will we get there?

For us to move forward, we need to work together to form a vision of where we are going, and develop short and long-term plans on how we will get there.

We need to analyze how we spend our money and how we can be more effective. We need to budget for needed facility and technology upgrades with a strategic plan.

We will work with the staff, AFT-National, and the Executive Committee to develop three and five-year financial and organizing plans.

An organizing drive takes an incredible amount of planning involving many people and organizations.  Yes, the plan needs to be adjusted as the situation changes, but first, we have to have a plan to adjust.

The same holds true for a financial plan or a plan to organize several sites.

We can't just "wing it."

We believe in leadership that works as hard as its members.  Effective leadership requires a presence.  Our members must feel that we are standing beside them in their struggle for respect and dignity in the workplace.

That statement summarizes why we organized at Backus. Management did not stand with us and offered no respect or dignity.

Speaking for myself, Unionism is a 24/7 endeavor because it is not a "job" to me, it is a vocation.

So, I have covered the four principles and goals of our team.

Membership First

Communication and Collaboration

Transparency

Organization

Taken together, they are a vision that our team shares.  A vision that is based on the premise that we must build a union we can all be proud of.