Organizing stewards and prospective organizing stewards at Weakley Hall to learn from George Miller and D. Taylor.
How can you help members learn how to fight for their rights? One way is to put them in the same room as proven fighters!
That’s a guiding principle of IBEW 1245’s organizing stewards program, and it was on full view recently when 56 organizing stewards heard from two veterans of the fight for workers’ rights: Congressman George Miller and Culinary Workers Union President D. Taylor.
Miller, who just retired from Congress after 40 years of defending workers’ rights, reminded the organizing stewards that the middle class didn’t just happen—working people fought together to create it. With the middle class under attack today, that fight continues, as does the need to find more people to carry on the fight.
D. Taylor, who has spent 34 years as an organizer and leader of the Culinary Workers Union in Las Vegas, said the way workers grow their power is by organizing. Successful organizing requires that a union’s rank and file members get involved, which is the organizing model now being implemented by IBEW 1245.
“D. Taylor was an inspiration and reminder of what my own personal goals as a union member are: never give up, fight smart, recruit new minds, and listen to those new ideas,” said Samson Wilson, an organizing steward at NV Energy. By establishing an organizing stewards program, IBEW 1245 is “setting the bench mark for the future of labor,” Wilson said.
When people understand the benefits of collective bargaining, they support unions, “but what holds people back is fear,” said Andrew West, an organizing steward at PG&E, responding to Taylor’s remarks. This makes it important to organize in a positive way, West said, “standing strong, and showing support and encouraging workers who want union representation.”
There was certainly a good reason to listen to Taylor’s advice on union building. During his tenure as an organizer and leader of the Culinary Workers in Las Vegas, his local union grew from 18,000 members in 1987 to over 55,000 in 2013. Taylor not only built his own union; he is a strong proponent of standing up for other unions. When IBEW 1245 retiree benefits were under attack by NV Energy, for example, Taylor turned out hundreds of his members to join IBEW 1245 members and retirees in picketing the company’s headquarters in Las Vegas.
IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards
Culinary Workers’ leader D. Taylor says workers can grow their power if they organize.
IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards
Organizing Steward Steve Marcotte speaks up.
IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards
Listening closely is Ashley Boles, PG&E San Jose Call Center. At right is Walter Carmier, Frontier.
IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards
Organizers Jammi Juarez and Eileen Purcell.
IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards
Speaking up is Robert Garcia, City of Lompoc.
IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards
Organizing Steward Kevin Krummes offers his perspective.
IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards
Rosario Saenz, PG&E Fresno Call Center , rises to make a point.
IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards
Organizer Eileen Purcell writes down highlights from small group discussions.
IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards
IBEW 1245 Organizer Fred Ross Jr. speaks to Organizing Stewards.
“Turning up the heat”
Congressman Miller told the stewards that corporations can always find ways to get their message across to Members of Congress. The challenge is to make sure that representatives hear from ordinary constituents as well.
Miller didn’t boast about it, but his record of supporting workers was second to none during his 40 years in Congress, according to statistics compiled by the AFL-CIO. But there was something else about Miller that impressed Rene Cruz-Martinez, a four-year IBEW 1245 member: his “awesome sense of humor.” She said that organizing stewards could be counted on to implement Miller’s advice to “turn up the heat” on politicians.
One politician in the union’s sights, Cruz-Martinez said, is Ami Berra. The Sacramento-area congressman promised to oppose the anti-worker TransPacific Partnership trade deal, but then switched his position. “Here in Sacramento we will continue to fight him on that,” she promised.
Organizing Steward Candice Brace, a three-year member at PG&E, put it this way: “Your job is not done once the person you voted for is elected into office, (you must) continue to hold them accountable.”
The labor movement is an on-going battle to keep what workers won in the past, and to win additional improvements “for those who come after,” said Anthony Powell, an organizing steward and 11-year IBEW member at PG&E. “D. Taylor and George Miller are examples of strong leaders” who have devoted themselves to protecting workers.
Congressman George Miller says union members must hold elected officials’ feet to the fire.
“Before this training I was skeptical of politicians, but George Miller renewed my faith and belief that there truly are politicians who say what they mean and do what they say,” said Powell.
The meeting with Miller and Taylor was held April 29 at Weakley Hall in Vacaville. The organizing stewards and prospective organizing stewards in attendance should have plenty of chances to put the lessons they learned into practice in the not-too-distant future: major local, state and national elections are coming up in 2016 and workers’ rights and standard of living will be on the line.
It didn’t take Organizing Steward Logan Jonas many words to sum up the day, and the challenges ahead: “Don’t wait, get up, get out, organize or die.”
