I am the new secretary-treasurer of the national AFL-CIO and I have a big job ahead of me. But my first task, like all of us on the leadership team, is to listen and learn. That’s why I’m here.
I’m especially interested in engaging more young people in our movement, and we have a natural connection through politics. In 2008, young people showed up in record numbers. Especially in a battleground state like Ohio, where things are always bound to be a bit…feisty.
Young people also revolutionized the meaning of grassroots organizing; using social networking tools like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to reach out keep each other connected.
I found this aspect of the election cycle to be particularly interesting. My own background is in grassroots organizing. After piecing together part time jobs to make full time work like so many young people have to do today, I got a job as an organizer for our IBEW Local 125 in Portland, Oregon, in the early 1990s.
I can only imagine how much easier that job would have been if I could have just created a Facebook events.
Many people ask me how I got involved with the union—why I went to a local chapter of the IBEW. My parents both worked at Portland General Electric—my father was a lineman and my mother worked in the clerical division.
The clerical workers, like my mother, did not have a voice on the job and had to take whatever the company offered in ways of benefits and pay. But because my father was in the union and had a contract, the company gave them a seat at the table, showed them respect and negotiated with them for the best possible arrangement.
Seeing the stark contrast in the way my parents were each treated at work and how they were compensated showed me how important a union can be, and what a difference it can make in peoples lives.
The labor movement, a legal voice for the working people, benefits all workers—even those not in unions.
People who ask, “What has labor ever done for me?” I have two words: the weekend. (Which will hopefully start for you soon!) It was the labor movement that negotiated a five-day workweek, the eight-hour day, and much more.
Young people, and many older folks, face hard economic choices today, because of this recession. The jobless rate in Ohio is among the highest in the nation, at 11.2 percent.
The American labor movement will lead the way in turning this crisis into an opportunity by promoting investment in our people, such as creating good, green jobs, having a public option so America’s working force can be healthy and productive, and making a good education affordable for everyone.
On Labor Day, the AFL-CIO released a report about young people in the workforce today. Here are some of the facts:
- Only 31 percent say they make enough money to cover their bills and put some money aside—22 percentage points fewer than in 1999—while 24 percent make less than they need just to pay their monthly bills.
- More than half of young workers have no retirement plan at work.
- With higher unemployment rates in 2009 than young workers faced in 1999, it’s hard to find a job. But it’s even harder to find a good job. More than one in three young workers worry they will not be able to find a permanent, fulltime job with benefits.
- Almost 1/3 do not have health care, with cost being the most popular reason why they do not have it.
But, like so many things in life, sometimes you don’t need to do a poll or a study to understand what’s going on. It’s the stories you hear from your family and friends about themselves, friends of friends, whoever. Or maybe it’s even your own story.
Some young people might think of labor unions as part of your grandparent’s generation. But we are for all ages, and for all workers—full time, part time, freelancers, professionals and skilled labor jobs alike.
If you’re a musician, there’s a union for you. If you are planning on going into the communications industry, there’s a union for you. There is a union for almost everything—teachers, government employees, bakery workers, office workers, opera singers.
And right now, we are pushing for legislation that will give every American worker a free choice to join a union, without fear of harassment or intimidation by employers.
The labor movement will be leading the fight for health care reform, too, and for consumer protections from financial rip-offs. How do we get your support here at the grassroots? That’s a big question for us.
I’m happy to answer any questions. In fact, I really came to hear from you. Tell me about what are key issues for you in your life, and how can we help?
