For the past two years, I have served in the capacity as union representative. This has meant that I dealt with school districts on behalf of my members, represented them, bargained with them, tried to figure out what was happening with them, been there when shit went down, and a lot of other things. I learned a lot, and I can say that the men and women who make up local leaders in unions are tremendously hardworking individuals, who for (typically) no extra money try and take on the problems that their members and their employers create. They literally do it out of the goodness of their hearts, and they typically don't get much thanks in return. I did things I never thought I had it in me to do. I witnessed things I wished I could forget. The bottom line is that the job doesn't suit my personality as much as organizing does, so when the opportunity presented itself, I had to go.
The chief difference between the organizer and the representative type is that the organizer focuses on organizing new union locals where they don't exist and the represenative services them, that is, provides the services that allow them to function.
I can't wait to get started organizing. I'll be like Adrian Brody in Bread and Roses, but without that big shnozz. And without the sleeping with the people I'm trying to organize.
No comments:
Post a Comment