We have to demand change because we deserve it

I started working when I was 19 making $15/hour. I didn’t pay too much mind to the union when I was younger, but some years passed and I started to think about possibilities for advancing in my job. That’s when I asked myself “I wonder how I can get more involved in my union.”

I researched what the union really is. I started reading pamphlets on the union and I read our side letter agreement. It got to the point where I knew so much about the union that when someone had a problem they often came to me to ask about their rights and about the next union meeting. I’m 30 years old now and although I don’t have the title of steward I’ve started to act like one more and more. It’s been about 2-3 years now that I’ve been actively helping other people and also helping myself.

I’m a part-time traffic control aid for the City of Chicago. Management used to consistently change the rules verbally and would refuse to show me anything on paper that stated the rules. I was scared of retaliation when I first started speaking up but I went to my father and uncle who were both in unions and helped me feel more confident about being active. I even asked the supervisor to start giving me five minutes before role call to talk to people about the union and to discuss how we can get the rights we deserve. I started doing this about 3 years ago and people’s attitudes towards me changed a lot. A lot of people respected the union more when they saw someone stepping up in their workplace when something wasn’t right. People openly expressed their support for me which made for a better work environment. They use to feel powerless but I gave them a sense of hope.

We’re taking necessary steps now towards improving outside agreements. I got to sit down with a Labor Relations Manager, and we’re in the midst of discussing improvements. I feel like I’m the pioneer of change. I stress to my coworkers about how we have to demand a change because we deserve it. I’ve had a couple people who are now assisting me in continuing to educate my coworkers while I’m out right now. They still call me to ask for advice on getting people more engaged but it’s a process that’s slowly progressing.

Currently, I’m talking to Chicago Public Schools’ new hires about our union and telling them the steps they need to take if they have an issue. It’s been going pretty well. I have some people who have actually invited me to other schools to talk with people who were refusing to sign cards. I’ve been able to convince a number of people to sign and to give funds to the Committee on Political Education or COPE. I ask them questions on the benefits they receive in being a part of the union. They usually aren’t aware that the benefits they receive are thanks to the union. As I talk to more and more workers I realize that it’s not really about me convincing them to become active in the union, it’s about getting them to convince themselves.