The Guardian Angels of the Labor Movement

I have spent,the past 7 days working 16 hour days and coming to know and bond with a wonderful group of people, professional organizers from around the country and worker organizers at PeaceHealth SW in Vancouver, Washington.

The healthcare workers (service and maintenance) are fighting for a voice by joining the AFT RNs and Techs in the AFT Union.

Sometimes in organizing it can feel like your running uphill in sand.

Your work real hard to climb the hill but with every step to take upward, you also slide a little backwards.

You set up meetings and the worker has a child get sick and they have to hurry home.

You have a nice conversation, and then the boss comes along and puts lies and fear into the worker.

Yet you push onward.

Then, when you least expect it you make contact with a worker and they tell you that their entire department has been meeting together and they are all solid in their commitment to join together into the AFT family.

And that's why you do it.

That's why you travel so far, that's why you live in hotel rooms, that's why you work such long days.

These healthcare workers do good work.  They clean hospitals, they prepare food, they assist nurses and techs. 

They deserve respect and they deserve a voice.

Organizers help them find that voice.

If healthcare workers are "angels,"

Then organizers are their "guardian angels."

It was an honor to work side by side with them this week.