We Stand By Our Union - UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO

Secretary-Treasurer’s ReportAre You a Doer,a Watcher, or a Critic?by Yvette Cuffi eIf you’re counting down until yourscheduled furlough days, take aminute to reflect how we got towhere we are. The final budgetdocument that emerged from the CountyExecutive and County Council was milesahead of where it started in terms of thepain and intensity of sacrifice. All Countygovernment employees and all countyresidents are better off because of whatthis union accomplished.It might have been easier if we hadmore hands step up, don our conspicuousgold shirts, and ease the load.Not long ago, a major credit cardcompany started using the slogan:“membership has its privileges.” And,that’s true of our union, too. Unionmembership has its privileges andresponsibilities, and those responsibilitiesgo beyond just paying dues. For us,membership also means ownership. Itmeans you have the privilege to be partof something bigger than yourself andthe responsibility to help make it so.It means you should take pride in yourunion, adding your muscle to the tasks andenjoying the fruits of your labor.Think about it—290 of our brothersand sisters have jobs who otherwisewouldn’t because we finally persuaded theCounty Council to agree to a RetirementIncentive Plan! We eliminated the threatof a 14 percent wage cut to school healthaides. We reduced the furlough threat forthe lowest paid County workers by 70percent—from 10 days to three days. Atthe upper levels—those earning $110,00016 The Local Link • Fall 2010or more—there will be substantial sting,but even they will not be hit as hard asthey would have been if we had not acted.I’m sending out a personal thanks tothe hundreds of Local 1994 members whocollected our gold shirts and participatedin the multiple demonstrations, ralliesand marches that started in the Spring andseemed to run non-stop through the end ofMay.Thanks also to the stewards whoworked conscientiously to keep their coworkersinformed. Thanks to all those whocalled and contacted your County Councilmembers in support of your union.Those brothers and sisters are theheroes of this battle. It was their workthat changed the game from a flat-outpenalty imposed exclusively on Countygovernment workers to a formula that,while still painful, is just a little more fairto everyone involved.I’m also sending a friendly reminder tothose who stood on the sidelines—we’llneed you again in the months ahead. If youthought we could have done a better job,you’re probably right and with your helpwe would have.Unfortunately, there were a lot ofmembers who let someone else do theheavy lifting for them. I am a firm believerin the old axiom that many hands makefor lighter loads. Another rule I try tolive by: Don’t fix blame; fix the problem.So, it doesn’t matter if—for whateverreason—you couldn’t be there when yourunion needed you. There will be lots moreopportunities in the months and weeksahead to do your part.For those keeping score, look at the“win” column:• School health room aides willbe paid their full salaries afterwinning back the hour that theywere slated to lose.• Instead of 300 jobs, six jobs werelost to involuntary layoffs—theCounty Council accepted aRetirement Incentive Plan.• Furloughs were put on a slidingscale—with employees on the lowendof the salary scale losing threedays, and those on the high end—at more than $100,000 losing eightdays. Nobody will be furloughedfor 10 days.Every organization that depends onmembership has the same problem.In church, you’ve got doers, watchersand critics. The doers are the ones whoparticipate in committees—at the church,they are the folks who teach Sundayschool, cook and serve for the dinners,visit the sick. You know who those folksare. The watchers just go to the servicesbecause they think that’s all that’sexpected of them. The critics are alsowatchers, but they expend all their energyfinding something wrong with what thedoers do.I think we have a lot of potential doersin our midst. We need you now more thanever to participate in this union while oureconomy recovers. This is not the timeto just “show up,” we need to Save OurServices.