Danny and I often sign our correspondence with “in solidarity.” It’s become second nature now and I rarely think about it, but today as local elections come to a close, the term solidarity is on my mind.
We are a diverse group of people, all with varying careers, interests and challenges. We are united, not by title or by department, but by the beliefs we share. We are all CSEA because we all agree that working in the service of the public is something to be valued and celebrated, and that the wages and retirement benefits we earn for that work deserve to be protected. We believe that workers shouldn’t have to worry about their safety because management decided to “cut corners.” We believe that using our collective voices, in our workplaces and in the Capitol, both in Albany and Washington D.C., is the best way for us to get things done.
Solidarity is defined in actions big and small. It can mean helping out a new local president when they are learning the ropes. It can be inviting a new coworker to an upcoming CSEA meeting. It can mean offering to mentor a new shop steward. It can be explaining to a new employee what
the union really does for its members. It can be sending words of support to fellow CSEA members and staff. It can be joining a new committee or taking up a sign to march with other union brothers and sisters on strike.
Solidarity is not competition and political in-fighting. It is not excluding those who have shown flashes of leadership. It is not sending venomous messages to fellow members or staff over grievances or contract negotiations. It is not sitting idly by, asking “what has the union done for me lately?”
We get out of our union whatever we put into it. When we focus our energy on causing discontent inside the union, it erodes our power and distracts us from the real threats we have to defend against. We can’t afford, in today’s climate, the luxury of playing in the shadows and casting stones. We have to help one another today more than ever, and cling to those beliefs that unite us.
Always in solidarity,
Mary
