seiu29.xml

seiu29.xml

born-digital

story

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2001-10-02

I am a MOC who recently came on staff with Local 503. The commitment I see from the members is such a confirmation of why I so strongly believe in unions. Unions are so fundememtally important in at this time when a sense of community seems harder and harder to connect with. The Dept of Revenue, Local 150, leadership is actively engaged in an aggressive campain to involve the lower paid workers in their agency by doing one on one contacts with ten identified work areas. The activists are introducing themselves, and finding out what the workers need. Pretty basic stuff, but often shyed away from by leaders because you have to put yourself and your beliefs out in the open. The general membership is responding, over 30% of their members attended the monthly meeting (thats about 200 members), members unannomously voted to send 500.00 dollars of their treasury funds to the SEIU relief fund, the leaders have set up collection cans through out their complex for folks to make ongoing donations to the SEIU Relief Fund, and the local has plans to revisit another 500.00 dollar pledge next quarter for when the attention of the public might start to waver. The families will need help long into the future when right now they can't imagine their needs. I am speaking from experience as I lost my father, a State Police Officer, in 1967. The fact that people who have never met give what they can to strangers in need is so reassuring. It's a reminder that there is a huge resevoir of power that sometimes just needs a common direction. sorry about the bad spelling, thanks for listening Timothy

Local 503, member