SOUTHERN REGION — It’s Christmas Eve, and the roads are jam-packed with last-minute shoppers headed to stores and travelers en route to visit family.
You know who else is on the road today? Our state Department of Transportation workers and many local government highway employees. The sanitation workers doing one last pickup before Christmas. The men and women whose careers don’t take a break for the holidays – our 911 dispatchers, direct care professionals in our state facilities, nursing home and hospital workers, and more – heading into work when so many others are headed to see family.
As public servants, our work – often invisible, behind-the-scenes tasks that are necessary but done without fanfare — doesn’t always allow for days off on or around holidays. Many of us miss special moments with family because there is work that has to be done. It’s tough making these sacrifices, even though we know what we have signed up for when we take these jobs.
That’s why being union means so much at this time of the year.
We are so fortunate to have union contracts, the language in which often spells out paid time off, sick time, overtime provisions, and other hard-earned benefits. When issues arise, we can look to our contracts to see where solutions might be found. If questions remain, we have union leaders and staff to turn to.
It’s not a perfect system and we have progress to continually make, but let’s be grateful for being union and support others who deserve to organize unions in their workplaces without fear of retribution. Recent media coverage has detailed the outrageous amount of money corporations spend trying to union-bust. Imagine if that money went to the workers instead?
We hear a lot lately about job creation, but the reality is that so many of these jobs aren’t paying enough to allow workers to get by. Being union would give workers the chance to bargain for better wages and working conditions.
So if you’re standing on line today in a big box store (obviously, supporting small business is preferable) grumbling about the long wait, think about (and be kind to) the people working there and be grateful that we’re union. Many of us are also working today, but we have the voice on the job that others don’t. In today’s climate, that truly is a gift.
To those celebrating holidays: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Joyous Kwanzaa. I’d like to sincerely thank all locals and units across our region this holiday season that have undertaken collections of food for families in need, toys for children who might not otherwise receive any, and hygiene items for victims of domestic violence. Your collective impact has made a true difference!
To all, I wish you a Happy New Year and a healthy and happy 2020.
Yours in Unionism,
Anthony Adamo
