Page 17 - Work Force November 2018

can they survive?
I know this year has motivated me. It has
bolstered my resolve to work harder to help our members understand what is at stake. From one end of the region to the other, members are sticking with our union. We just will not take our eyes off the prize. A prize where working families begin to build back what they lost. We still have enemies that
are going to try and destroy us, but I know we are stronger. We still have a message that needs to get to every member. We have work to be done. I am recommitting myself to this work and all it entails and I ask you, will you join me?
Join me in recommitting to our union,
time, special events and holidays and any free time you might otherwise have so that you can advocate on behalf of our members, often with little or no thanks. I know you are not in it for recognition or reward, but on behalf of all our members, I want you to know that your time, dedication, passion and selflessness is very much appreciated.
Finally, I would like to express my appreciation for our union’s great staff. They are truly the foundation of our success in
all our operations, supporting our officers and activists. At our Region Offices and in our Albany Headquarters, we have some exceptional people working for our union, whose knowledge, expertise, dedication and professionalism allow us to accomplish all we do on behalf of our members. Our Region offices, headed up by Office Manager Doreen Gilbert, are staffed by an incredible team
of clerical support professionals who make everything run smoothly. Our labor relations staff, headed up by Region Director Dean Adams, are our front line fighters in all the everyday struggles we face. They help all
our leaders be the best they can be day in
and day out. Our Region Communications, Organizing, Political Action and Safety staff professionals are also worthy of my thanks for all the hard work they do on our behalf. Finally, all the staff professionals and support staff at Headquarters are equally deserving of praise for all that they do on a daily basis to support the operations of our Region.
I know that when I have retired, the work that we all do as a union, staff and activists and officers, will continue. I am so proud
of what we have been able to accomplish
to our mission and to each other. The ways are endless. Talk to a non-member about the value of membership. Organize a union meeting. Join a committee. Become a steward. Volunteer for a blitz.
Let us do our part to help the pendulum swing back in favor of working families, in support of having a voice, for respect on the job, to give our kids the best chance for success and to give us security in retirement and to stem the tide of corporate greed. We can do it, we just need more soldiers!
Respectfully submitted,
Ron Briggs
Capital Region President
throughout all my years, and I am very hopeful for what our future will hold, despite, and maybe even because of, the threats to our existence we have recently faced.
I am hopeful because I have heard from so many of our members how strongly they support our union. For those of us who live and breathe union on a daily basis, over
the years I think we had become somewhat desensitized to the perspective of the average member, and how much they support us, but that is changing, and in a good way.
Our efforts to engage our members have been nothing less than complete culture change in CSEA, and have been met with
an overwhelmingly positive response. I have been out knocking on doors speaking with members at their homes, and I have spoken at countless membership meetings to rank and file union members who never participated much in our union before. Despite their lack of direct involvement, their overwhelming support for what we do has been reassuring and re-energizing. When we talk, they
express to me their shared frustration that somebody could get most of the benefits of the union without paying for it, because they understand that it is just common-sense to have everyone paying their fair share. The overwhelming majority tell me they would never quit on each other or our union, and that gives me great hope.
And while we continue to work hard to engage our members, we also are working hard to be the best union we can be, to improve our union and make CSEA the union that our members want to be a part of. I have been proud to help lead our
helped build this great organization. CSEA will never quit. We will never quit fighting for our place at the table and having our voice heard at work — because when unions are strong — workers are strong. And when workers are strong — America is strong.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Button
Western Region President
CAPITAL REGION PRESIDENT continued from Page 13
WESTERN REGION PRESIDENT continued from Page 14
CENTRAL REGION PRESIDENT continued from Page 14
Robust Communications Workgroup, made up of a team of activists and staff who are working to enhance our internal and external communications, something we know is vitally important. We have several other workgroups that are doing equally important research in other areas of our operations to examine how we and other unions operate, and what best practices and lessons we can take away from others. Doing this work
will allow us to decide how and what we
can change in how we do business to stay relevant, competitive and, most of all, strong. I know that everyone involved in these workgroups, and everyone who cares about our union, is doing their best to make sure that CSEA will be around for the next 108 years and beyond.
Our convention theme this year is “Stay Union — Stay Strong.” Because of all our efforts to improve and strengthen our union, I am encouraged that we can come out of this even stronger than before, but we cannot and will not do this just by making changes from the top down.
I am probably going to sound like a broken record here, because I have talked about this before, but if we are to be truly successful on behalf of our members, we will also need to focus on improving our union from the grassroots up. We will need to be more visible and successful in the everyday workplace issues that our members expect
us to be involved in. At the same time, we will need to continue engaging our members and involving them in their own fights, and those of their union brothers and sisters, if we want to grow stronger. This will not be easy
work, because it means continuing to look at changing our culture in our workplaces and doing whatever we can to encourage actual participation by our members. The bottom line is that we will never be a successful member-run union if our members are not invested in their own success.
Now that the anvil hanging over our heads of the Supreme Court case has finally fallen, like we knew it was going to, we will ALL have to recommit to doing the hard work of fighting back against those who want to take away our power. We WILL work to engage and educate our members. We WILL work
to improve our union. We WILL change
the way we do business. We WILL get more members involved. We WILL fight back and WE WILL SUCCEED. We really have no other choice.
Although I am retiring from my union office, I will remain a union activist forever. Just because you may not see me as often, you must know that I remain committed to keeping a strong union movement, and that will not stop just because I am not around as much. I WILL stay union and I WILL stay strong. I know you will all join me.
Once again, I would like to thank all of our delegates for your support and friendship over the years. I will miss you all. Have a great convention!
Respectfully submitted,
Colleen Wheaton
Central Region President
November 2018
The Work Force 17