 Ever wonder why it's called a "local?" Most unions are organized around bargaining units (usually in a single business or industry) and those bargaining units are then organized into locals (there are several bargaining units in Local 39. There were more before Act 10) that report up to the International. The basis for union operations is the Local. How does the Local operate then? Unlike how unions are so often portrayed, Local 39 is a democracy. There are no "marching orders" from the International. There are no "thugs" standing by to corral innocent workers into line. There are a handful of people working hard to keep the union operating. Why only a handful? It shouldn't be. Being a part of the union brings many benefits, and to keep the Local functioning that "handful" are happy to work hard to see to it that the Company follows the terms of the contract during its term, and then fight to get the best contract they can come negotiations. There are elections coming up soon, with nominations being accepted this Wednesday night for several positions (see below). If you are a member in good standing (dues paid in full, not suspended, etc.) you can be nominated to a place on the Executive board. With the terms of several officers ending, now is a good time, particularly if you feel that the way things are being done could be improved upon. That's one BIG way to help keep your union strong. Another is to become a steward and go toe-to-toe with management to keep the Company to the terms of the contract. But not everyone is cut out for a place on the board. Some of us contribute by writing or posting articles and newsletters on our cube walls. Some do better talking to our colleagues, friends, and neighbors about union issues (see some of the links in the Featured Links section, above), or speaking up whenever someone says false things about unions and union members. All of us can contribute just by showing up. Members in our local pay hundreds of dollars a year to be part of the union, but less than two dozen members may show up for Membership meetings, like the one to be held this week. Too many people, even in our local, can't say what's going on with our union because they don't read the newsletters, they don't show up for meetings, they don't realize that THEY are the union. As a recent piece in the Democracy Journal put it: Staff and a cohort of committed members often run local unions on behalf of a large silent majority of members, who view union membership as something like an insurance policy, paid for by their union dues, rather than a rank-and-file driven activist organization. Hey, if things are going great for you, that's wonderful. If you think that there could be improvements in how the union is run, if you want your voice to be heard, now is your chance to step forward. But you don't have to be a steward or on the executive board to make a difference. You just have to show up.  | 
You are a dues-paying union member. Sure, you know about how the contract protects you. But do you know you have other perks?
