Labor & Employment Law

70 Young Union Members ?Organize Our Future?

By admin

Rosa Blumenfeld, an organizer at the Greater Boston Labor Council (GBLC), sends us this report.

What do you hear from your friends, family and fellow workers when you say the word “union”? What can we do, as young people, in the Boston area to create change? How do we talk to our co-workers about the union? How do we move them to take action for social and economic justice?

These were the questions that more than 70 young union members (35 and under) gathered to address this past Saturday, Feb. 26, at the first-ever “Organizing Our Future” conference put on by the GBLC Futures Committee. There was a good gender and racial balance, and a representative cross-section of the labor movement that included building trades, public sector, service and manufacturing workers.

Workshops were held where participants learned some basic organizing skills they can take back to their locals and worksites. They engaged in conversations about the labor movement, and what needs to be done to ensure its continuity and strength. They divided into small groups to start developing an action plan.

GBLC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Rich Rogers spoke about the sacrifices it takes to make the labor movement strong and how young union members need to be educated about the challenges their unions and every sector of the workforce face. Marty Walsh of the Boston Building Trades Council spoke of his own family history of unionism and about the importance of getting involved in your local union. Felix Arroyo Jr. of the Boston City Council stressed that it’s now up to young people to fight for the union and social and economic justice, so that the good jobs they now hold will still be available for their kids in the future. Boston City Councilor Charles Yancey also dropped by and addressed the conference.

Said Allison Doherty-LaCasse, chair of the GBLC Futures Committee:

I was very pleased with the turnout, the number of different unions that were represented and the high energy throughout the day. This is a great first step for the Greater Boston Labor Council Futures Committee.

Said Rogers:

I was heartened to see so many young labor activists together in Boston. I would like to especially thank our Allison Doherty-LaCasse of the Boston Teacher’s Union, Tyrek Lee of 1199SEIU and our own council organizer Rosa Blumenfeld for their hard work.

A special thank you to the Boston Teachers Union, Electrical Workers (IBEW) 2222, SEIU 509 and 1199SEIU for their financial contributions to the conference?s success; to the Boston Teachers Union for hosting; and to Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 11 for their technological equipment and expertise.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on March 07, 2011 (boomark / email).