I started organizing my coworkers 25 years ago and I haven’t looked back

My name is Roy Chavadiyil. I am a steward and have been working at Cook County Health and Hospital Systems for 25 years. When I first joined Local 73 in 1992 we didn’t have strong union representation. It wasn’t long before we found out that people just hadn’t been motivated to action. In my home country of India, I was a secretary for a trade union. I was very familiar with engaging union members to become active members.

I started organizing my own coworkers back then and I have never looked back. We achieved a lot of good things like upgrades for our entire department and a 50% salary increase in my first negotiation. I also learned a lot about the political process in Chicago and participated in union committees that supported pro union candidates who could pass policies to make broader changes for all workers. Because of all of these years of active union involvement, now in the radiology department, we have a great team of grassroots level organizers who are always looking out for each other.

Just this month, I converted 23 fair share payers to full union members and I’m continuing to convert more. I know that if the Supreme Court rules in favor of Janus, it could weaken our union. We have to act now. In order for us to maintain the power in our union we need to sign up fair share workers. Every part of our workplaces can be affected by our strength. I am talking to my co-workers one on one about how their finances will be hurt, but I also talk to them about how our collective power will be hurt.

The number of people I have signed up as full union members continues to grow and other are starting to hear about it. Now those people who I signed up are starting to bring in other co-workers and signing them up as full union members. That’s exactly what we need.

Without the union, my job would be very different. Cook County Health and Hospital Systems, like any boss, would try to lay people off and have us work for less. They would try to weaken us, but as members of Local 73 we are the pillars that stand up against management.