I was sharing with a friend tonight a few thoughts on the celebration of my 63rd trip around the sun
I can’t believe that I started today in tropical Florida and ended it in my favorite pizza place in Danielson with chocolate cake.
I know it’s 2018 and all, and air travel has been around for decades, but that still amazes me that it’s possible.
And I’m grateful it still amazes me.
In spite of being all grownup, I can still see the world with the eyes and faith of a child at times.
I’m blessed for that.
Perhaps that’s why I had the faith to take the leaps to become a nurse, help form a union, run as VP of a 30,000 member labor federation.
God has blessed me.
God knows I have had challenges.
But I’ve never had to face them alone.
My wonderful wife and family, my nursing colleagues, my work partners, and my members are always there to walk with me.
I have no great words of wisdom
Perhaps that’s my greatest gift.
God has helped me find my voice.
Now my job is to use that voice and help others find their voice.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Sunday, April 22, 2018
DTC
I few weeks ago I was approached by a friend about my Democratic Town Committee.
She said the committee was in need of support as those serving on the committee had done so for years and were looking for new people to become involved.
My answer was, “Of course, I’ll do what I can to help.”
I’m now chairman.
Political Town Committees are nothing more than the residents of a political party in a town who gather together to promote values and candidates that they believe in.
I have avoided being involved, even though I have worked on campaigns and even been a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, mostly through my activism in the union.
When I called the chairman and told him I wanted to get involved, he asked where I had been all this time.
It was a legitimate question and my “I was busy” was a poor excuse, although not completely untrue.
I’m not sure I understood the importance of being involved for most of my life.
Interesting, because I grew up looking at my grandfather’s multiple gavels from his years of service as President of the Rhode Island Senate and hearing how Irish immigrants became involved in politics.
Anyway, since becoming involved in my organizing drive at my hospital, and especially since becoming AFT CT Vice President, I see how if we don’t have a seat at the table, we’re on the menu.
So I find myself Chair of the Sterling Connecticut DTC.
We’re a small rural town of under 3500 residents, fairly equally split between democrats, republicans, and unaffiliated, with far too many unregistered.
My hope is that along with the dedicated members who have served so long on the committee, we can involve newer members and increase voter roles and participation.
I invite all town democrats to contact us and become involved to the extent they can and wish.
(And in your own town committees)
We are on Facebook https://facebook.com/SterlingDTC/
She said the committee was in need of support as those serving on the committee had done so for years and were looking for new people to become involved.
My answer was, “Of course, I’ll do what I can to help.”
I’m now chairman.
Political Town Committees are nothing more than the residents of a political party in a town who gather together to promote values and candidates that they believe in.
I have avoided being involved, even though I have worked on campaigns and even been a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, mostly through my activism in the union.
When I called the chairman and told him I wanted to get involved, he asked where I had been all this time.
It was a legitimate question and my “I was busy” was a poor excuse, although not completely untrue.
I’m not sure I understood the importance of being involved for most of my life.
Interesting, because I grew up looking at my grandfather’s multiple gavels from his years of service as President of the Rhode Island Senate and hearing how Irish immigrants became involved in politics.
Anyway, since becoming involved in my organizing drive at my hospital, and especially since becoming AFT CT Vice President, I see how if we don’t have a seat at the table, we’re on the menu.
So I find myself Chair of the Sterling Connecticut DTC.
We’re a small rural town of under 3500 residents, fairly equally split between democrats, republicans, and unaffiliated, with far too many unregistered.
My hope is that along with the dedicated members who have served so long on the committee, we can involve newer members and increase voter roles and participation.
I invite all town democrats to contact us and become involved to the extent they can and wish.
(And in your own town committees)
We are on Facebook https://facebook.com/SterlingDTC/
Sunday, April 8, 2018
The Road Ahead
This week, members of AFT Connecticut will travel to Alaska to be part of a Public Employee Organizing Blitz.
And, this week, members of AFT Connecticut will travel to the Virgin Islands as part of a team on a healthcare mission to hurricane ravaged islands.
And, next week, members of AFT Connecticut will travel to Parkland, Florida to continue to provide support to the teachers and students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Taking time from their own busy lives, these dedicated members are on the road to help their sister and brother AFT members in Alaska, Florida and the Virgin Islands because they recognize that we are bigger than our individual workplace or Local or even State Federation. We are part of a 1.7 member family that is AFT.
And, we are part of the greater union movement.
My utmost thanks goes out to them all, my heart travels with them and my pride in being a small part of this family runs over.
It is both ironic and fitting that several months ago, we chose a slogan for the AFT Connecticut convention in May,
“The Road Ahead.”
These dedicated members, being literally on the road, are showing us the road ahead.
Our members in Alaska this week are part of a Public Sector Organizing Blitz, something that has gone on for at least 7 years, where members and staff come together in a week filled with honing organizing skills and practicing those skills through mapping of units, door knocking, and site visits.
It is an exhausting and fulfilling week.
It literally changes lives.
If you ever get the opportunity to go, take it.
Our members in Parkland next week are from the Newtown Federation of Teachers.
They are members of a fraternity that no teacher wants to belong, a fraternity of school shooting survivors.
Their goal is to help the newest members of that fraternity, in ways only they can.
This is their second trip since the shooting.
Our prayers are with them.
Our members in the Virgin Islands are not on vacation.
The Virgin Islands, like Puerto Rico, were devastated by 2 hurricanes last fall.
As a result, they have a housing shortage and the nursing shortage has become so severe that the schools are 10,000 basic hearing, vision and dental screenings behind.
These screenings catch problems before complications set in and students fall behind in their studies.
5 of our nurses will be part of a team of 26 AFT Healthcare members from around the country who will do their best to screen as many as possible over this coming week.
I have a particular pride in this group.
Our 5 members are from my local, the Backus Federation of Nurses.
It is wonderful to see that the work and struggles we went through 7 years ago to organize have led to a local with members willing to sacrifice for their sisters and brothers of the AFT Virgin Island Teacher’s Local.
It is fitting because without the help of AFT Connecticut, AFT, and the greater labor movement, we would never have been successful in organizing.
The challenges ahead are immense but to me the road ahead is not dark.
We are a diverse union and in that diversity is our strength.
Our members are showing the way.
And, this week, members of AFT Connecticut will travel to the Virgin Islands as part of a team on a healthcare mission to hurricane ravaged islands.
And, next week, members of AFT Connecticut will travel to Parkland, Florida to continue to provide support to the teachers and students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Taking time from their own busy lives, these dedicated members are on the road to help their sister and brother AFT members in Alaska, Florida and the Virgin Islands because they recognize that we are bigger than our individual workplace or Local or even State Federation. We are part of a 1.7 member family that is AFT.
And, we are part of the greater union movement.
My utmost thanks goes out to them all, my heart travels with them and my pride in being a small part of this family runs over.
It is both ironic and fitting that several months ago, we chose a slogan for the AFT Connecticut convention in May,
“The Road Ahead.”
These dedicated members, being literally on the road, are showing us the road ahead.
Our members in Alaska this week are part of a Public Sector Organizing Blitz, something that has gone on for at least 7 years, where members and staff come together in a week filled with honing organizing skills and practicing those skills through mapping of units, door knocking, and site visits.
It is an exhausting and fulfilling week.
It literally changes lives.
If you ever get the opportunity to go, take it.
Our members in Parkland next week are from the Newtown Federation of Teachers.
They are members of a fraternity that no teacher wants to belong, a fraternity of school shooting survivors.
Their goal is to help the newest members of that fraternity, in ways only they can.
This is their second trip since the shooting.
Our prayers are with them.
Our members in the Virgin Islands are not on vacation.
The Virgin Islands, like Puerto Rico, were devastated by 2 hurricanes last fall.
As a result, they have a housing shortage and the nursing shortage has become so severe that the schools are 10,000 basic hearing, vision and dental screenings behind.
These screenings catch problems before complications set in and students fall behind in their studies.
5 of our nurses will be part of a team of 26 AFT Healthcare members from around the country who will do their best to screen as many as possible over this coming week.
I have a particular pride in this group.
Our 5 members are from my local, the Backus Federation of Nurses.
It is wonderful to see that the work and struggles we went through 7 years ago to organize have led to a local with members willing to sacrifice for their sisters and brothers of the AFT Virgin Island Teacher’s Local.
It is fitting because without the help of AFT Connecticut, AFT, and the greater labor movement, we would never have been successful in organizing.
The challenges ahead are immense but to me the road ahead is not dark.
We are a diverse union and in that diversity is our strength.
Our members are showing the way.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Lessons of Easter
To the Christian world, Easter is a big day.
But to me, it’s not the fact that Jesus rose from the dead that is so amazing.
It’s how he lived his life and what he taught by his words and example.
Born homeless, to an unwed mother, forced into exile for his own safety while still an infant, persecuted and killed for his beliefs, and still he said, “forgive them father, they know not what they do.”
He knew what it was to be poor.
He knew what it was to be an immigrant.
He knew what it was to be beaten.
He knew what it was to be persecuted for his beliefs.
He knew what it was to be “us.”
He chose to be friends with the outcasts of his society, and was criticized for it.
He did not judge, he forgave and led by example.
To some, his rising on Easter is proof that he is God, and man.
To me, it is a day to celebrate the Movement.
The Movement that chooses love over hate,
Justice over privilege,
A voice for all over a voice for a few,
And truly believes that our neighbor is the foreigner we meet on the side of the road,
And that we are all sisters and brothers.
His teachings and example are the teachings and example for the Movement.
They are the teachings of Gandhi, King, Chavez, and so many more.
Christians believe that he was God, made man and that our duty is to follow the example he gave and the lessons he taught.
We must ask ourselves two things.
If he was God, why did he choose to live a life as he did, in poverty, befriending those on the margins of society, teaching love, forgiveness, and acceptance?
Are we following him?
He rose on Easter.
He lives on in us.
But to me, it’s not the fact that Jesus rose from the dead that is so amazing.
It’s how he lived his life and what he taught by his words and example.
Born homeless, to an unwed mother, forced into exile for his own safety while still an infant, persecuted and killed for his beliefs, and still he said, “forgive them father, they know not what they do.”
He knew what it was to be poor.
He knew what it was to be an immigrant.
He knew what it was to be beaten.
He knew what it was to be persecuted for his beliefs.
He knew what it was to be “us.”
He chose to be friends with the outcasts of his society, and was criticized for it.
He did not judge, he forgave and led by example.
To some, his rising on Easter is proof that he is God, and man.
To me, it is a day to celebrate the Movement.
The Movement that chooses love over hate,
Justice over privilege,
A voice for all over a voice for a few,
And truly believes that our neighbor is the foreigner we meet on the side of the road,
And that we are all sisters and brothers.
His teachings and example are the teachings and example for the Movement.
They are the teachings of Gandhi, King, Chavez, and so many more.
Christians believe that he was God, made man and that our duty is to follow the example he gave and the lessons he taught.
We must ask ourselves two things.
If he was God, why did he choose to live a life as he did, in poverty, befriending those on the margins of society, teaching love, forgiveness, and acceptance?
Are we following him?
He rose on Easter.
He lives on in us.
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