Worker Power, and other lessons from Terry Reed

“Why is it,” Jonathan puzzled, “that the hardest thing in the world is to convince a bird that he is free, and that he can prove it for himself if he’d spend a little time practicing? Why should that be so hard?” (Richard Bach, Johnathan Livingston Seagull 2006, 88-89)

I was trying to think of what I should write for the end of the year.  It seems a fitting time to look back, and to look ahead.
Then I came across a FB post about the ongoing government shutdown and how federal workers are working without pay and failure to work is grounds for insubordination under law.

A friend, Terry Reed, posted this in response:
“Don’t let the law be your guide. There are good and bad laws. Dignity, respect, the right to fair pay and benefits should always be your guide. Solidarity is your most potent weapon against a bully, a tyrant, an injustice. There are many ways to show your solidarity and fight back. The creativity the workers have together to formulate plans of mutual interest will overcome the control of the tyrant. Don’t limit the workers ability together to come up with a plan of action.”

I first met T Reed in 2015 when he came to Connecticut to participate in a week long member mobilization. Terry is “retired” from several jobs, starting as a social worker and ending as a labor organizer.
I remember finally getting the chance one evening to sit and talk to him about my brief experience in the movement, what led me to the place I was in, and my hopes and dreams for the movement.

Johnathan Livingston Seagull speaking to his student Fletcher Gull, spoke of things others didn’t:
“He spoke of very simple things- that it is right for a gull to fly, that freedom is the very nature of his being, that whatever stands against that freedom must be set aside, be it ritual or superstition or limitation in any form.”

Terry spoke of things that others didn’t, or at least he spoke of them in a different way. He told me that there is no power under the sun as great as the power of workers standing in solidarity and that legislation and contracts can be good things, but that they can just as easily hold workers back, as chains about their ankles.
Like Fletcher Gull, my eyes were opened to the possibilities before us, if only we had the faith to believe in workers.
At one point I looked to my left and Jan smiled at me.
She knew.
She would tell me later, “you were having a Terry Reed moment.”
She, and so many others have been recipients of these moments.

Terry remains a mentor to many of us.
He’d say he’s just a worker.
He’s right.
But it’s easy to get caught up in the legalities of contracts and laws and the business of running a union and forget a simple principle that Terry reminds us of:
There is no greater force under the sun than the force of workers standing in solidarity.

A Christmas Wish

On this Christmas Eve I wish you the peace of whatever holidays you and your family celebrate.
I will celebrate the birth of a brown skinned Jewish Palestinian homeless boy who was born to an unwed mother. He probably spoke Aramaic.
Shortly after his birth, he and his family were forced to immigrate and seek asylum in a foreign land because of fear for his life.

He would grow up to work with his hands as carpenter.
At age 30 he began traveling as an itinerant preacher.
He never had a mega church, he met people where they were.
He challenged his disciples to take nothing with them, but to rely on the good will of those they would meet.
He peached a gospel of love for all.
He refused to judge a woman caught in adultery.
He never judged someone based on the color of their skin, the language they spoke, the religion (or lack of) that they practiced, their country of origin, their immigration status, or their sexual identity or preferences.
He said we are all neighbors, all sisters and brothers.
He believed if we had two coats we should give one to the person who had none.
He said possessions should be given away if we wished to follow him.

His last lesson to us was to wash his disciples feet, a lasting reminder that those in positions of influence should serve others. (not the reverse)

His teachings seam a radical message in today’s world.
Apparently, it seemed somewhat radical back then too, because after 3 years of roaming and preaching, the authorities had him killed.

But his message did not die with him.
It lives on.
Yes, it has been corrupted countless times and used to justify many evil deeds, but the pureness of his message cannot be silenced, cannot die.
Even though at times it seems to be gone, a flicker has always survived.
A flicker that can come alive in the words or deeds of a good man or woman.
We often think of King, of Mandela, of Chavez, of Theresa, but even more important, it comes alive in the faces, in the smiles, and in the kind words and deeds of our friends.

You see, Jesus was never rich, never published, never attended university, never travelled far from home. He didn’t blog, or tweet, or post.
He spoke to people and he touched them, with his hands and his heart.
That is what Christmas is to me.
A celebration of that love between people.

It doesn’t matter if we believe he was the son of God, or even if we believe that God exists.
It matters that we celebrate his example.
And follow it.
Merry Christmas.

Protecting Healthcare for all

The ACA is not perfect, but it protects Americans with pre-existing conditions and has brought healthcare to millions of seniors, young people and economically disadvantaged people. 
It is the only thing that stands between working families and bankruptcy that can come with one illness. 

The court ruling by a federal judge in Texas must be overturned and we must continue to fight for quality affordable healthcare for all. 
We know the groups who have fought for this outcome for years. They are not the friends of workers, the young, the elderly, or the economically disadvantaged. 

Labor must, and will, continue to work with our community friends to stand up for ALL people. 
In Connecticut in particular, we must work with our Congressional delegation and our incoming governor, Attorney General, and General Assembly, to show that we in Connecticut stand with ALL people, not just the 1%.

Today is a great day to redidicate yourselves to that effort.

Thank you Ann, Thank you Bernie

Glad that Jan Hochadel and I were able to attend the HPAE retirement party for Ann Twomey and Bernie Gerard this week. 

Ann and Bernie’s contribution to the labor movement is nearly impossible to measure. 

They both played key roles in organizing their respective hospitals, in expanding HPAE, both in number of members and facilities represented and in influence in the state of New Jersey and the labor movement.  

Their leadership has established an HPAE culture based on the organizing model of unionism, stressing member and community engagement to build a voice for workers and the people we serve. 

On a personal note, they have each mentored me as I have moved from being a local nurse organizer, to local president, to state officer. Through example and advice, they have been true sister and brother to me.

They leave the HPAE in great hands with new president Debbie White and her leadership tam and AFT Connecticut looks forward to continuing the fight along side them.