UAW Local 5960

Women's History Month

EQUAL PAY; EQUAL SAY

By: Denise Hufford

 

It’s March and you know what that means; it’s Women’s History Month.  As a women working in an auto assembly facility, let me say that I couldn’t be more proud than to work in a UAW Represented work site. At my work I have language in a contract that guarantees my rights as a women.  I have language in a contract that guarantees that my pay is equal for equal work and that my voice is heard and valued on all issues.  All of these items, and many others, were fought for and won by the United Auto Workers.  Let me take this opportunity, during Women’s History Month, to say thank you to the International UAW and our own UAW Local 5960 for protecting my rights and having my back in the work place.  Life is more fulfilling in a union represented work place.  No harassment, equal rights, equal pay and full time representatives to assist me when things don’t go right.  Thanks to the union and may we all have a wonderful Women’s History Month.  

 

White Shirt Day

On February 11, 1937 a handful of dedicated union people in Flint Michigan held

out and won recognition from one of the world’s largest corporations. Many of them had

lost their homes and most of their families were destitute in the middle of a Michigan

Winter.

This Thursday, February 11, 2010 stop for a moment to recognize the efforts and

perseverance of this brave lot. In many ways, they paved the way for s strong middle

class and opportunities that, before their time, people could only dream about.

Today, unions are more important than ever and are a vital partner in the push to

re-manufacture America. Americans pretty much want the same things today that they

did in 1937; dignity in the work place, a good paying job with health care benefits and

enough to help their children reach their own dreams through education.

Americas unions not only make the work place safe and productive but are

involved in the community as well making sure there are opportunities for employment

and helping those less fortunate. If you have the opportunity, say Union Yes!

On January 16 we celebrate the birth of Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr., January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist who was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs.

King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, serving as its first president. With the SCLC, King led an unsuccessful 1962 struggle against segregation in Albany, Georgia (the Albany Movement), and helped organize the 1963 nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama. King also helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history.

On October 14, 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolent resistance. In 1965, he helped to organize the Selma to Montgomery marches, and the following year he and SCLC took the movement north to Chicago to work on segregated housing. In the final years of his life, King expanded his focus to include opposition towards poverty and the Vietnam War, alienating many of his liberal allies with a 1967 speech titled "Beyond Vietnam".

In 1968, King was planning a national occupation of Washington, D.C., to be called the Poor People's Campaign, when he was assassinated on April 4 in Memphis, Tennessee. His death was followed by riots in many U.S. cities.

King was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established as a holiday in numerous cities and states beginning in 1971, and as a U.S. federal holiday in 1986. Hundreds of streets in the U.S. have been renamed in his honor, and a county in Washington State was also renamed for him. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated in 2011.  UAW Local 5960 honors the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

THE TOP TEN LIST FOR EVERY AUTOWORKER

 

1. Attend your membership meetings.
2. Understand your Weingarten Rights.
3. Know how to protect your job.
4. Know your contract.
5. Be your Brother’s and Sister’s keeper.
6. Be persistent.
7. Document, document, document.
8. Use the platinum rule:  Treat others as you would have them treat your children.
9. Use your union resources as needed.
10. Understand that the U in Union is you.

 

Knowing and practicing these ten simple principles will make you “Autoworker strong.”

How Do Politics Affect You and Your Family?

Why should you – as a union member and employee – be involved in politics? Does it really make a difference who is elected and who makes the laws? Every aspect of our lives – even those we often take for granted – is affected by politics.

From the time you wake up and the time you leave the house, you usually perform several activities. The following items are affected by politics:

The water with which you wash your face and brush your teeth

The electricity that lights the room

The price and quality of food you have for breakfast

The safety of the products you buy

Most of our waking time is spent at work or in travel to and from the job. The following items are affected by politics:

Your method of transportation and the roads on which you travel

The conditions under which you work

Your membership in a union and the right to bargain collectively

The income you receive when you are unemployed

We value our leisure time and the chance to “get away from it all.” The following items are affected by politics:

The parks and lakes where you fish and swim

The air you breathe

The radio and television programs that entertain you

Most of us want to see our children prepared to take on the responsibilities of adulthood. The following items are affected by politics:

The schools your kids attend – the buildings, the teachers and staff, safety

The opportunity for education and training beyond high school

As a person grows older the later years in life become more meaningful. The following items are affected by politics:

The age at which you can retire

The income you receive during retirement (including Social Security)

The quality and cost of health care (including Medicare)

The life expectancy of each of us

 

Please take the time to vote and let your voice be heard!