President’s Report – November 2016

This Fall at the 39th annual IAMAW Grand Lodge Convention International President Bob Martinez stated that the most important challenge that our union faces is organizing. This organizing effort involves educating unrepresented workers on what makes a union work and explaining to them the many benefits of belonging to a union. Mr. Martinez further stated that organizing must be a part of our culture and that we must live it 24/7 to survive and thrive as a union.

As members of Local Lodge 1725 we are fortunate in that we already belong to a union. However, we still need to do the same things that organizers do. We must constantly educate and remind our co-workers about what makes our our union work and the benefits of its membership.

Our union works only if we have an active membership. An active membership stays informed by checking our union websites frequently or coming to monthly business meetings. An active membership gets involved in any number of roles that supports their grievance committee or Local Lodge. An active membership works to ensure that they have a strong union!

Our members enjoy many benefits that those without a union can only dream about. Good health insurance, top tier industry wages, a defined benefit pension plan, and justice and respect on the job are but a few of the hard-fought benefits that are a part of our everyday workplace. Remind your co-workers about these benefits and that they are not possible without a strong and active union.

Like President Martinez said, maintaining an active and educated membership must be a part of our culture. It must be a 24/7 effort on our part to ensure that our union not only survives but thrives. Our future depends on it.