The picture above was from a radical anarchist building in Pittsburgh, PA where Co-op and union activists worked together for social justice. The cornerstone has been chiseled away, but the (workers) of the world unite, 1916 are still visible, this is a fitting reminder of the state of workplace democracy in the 21st century, we can still see our past, but it has been chiseled away and has left us divided. I have been and will continue to bring the labor movement back to its former glory by picking up the pieces left by the road and remembering our rich history and legacy.
My vision:
We are living in interesting times, times of uncertainty but also times of opportunity to create a better tomorrow. We now face the challenge to “future-proof” our union since unrestrained financial institutions and corporations have left our community without good work prospects and safety nets. We are also faced with climate change, peak oil, and the constraints of the capped property tax and its effects on our workplace. As your current vice president, I have been working hard to meet these challenges and will continue to do so. I will continue to help Local 88’s members to elect the best candidates, regardless of party affiliation, for political posts throughout the Portland region, Oregon, and nationally. I will continue to help diversify the voices heard by union leadership, political leaders, and our County’s elected officials, to include everyone’s point of view, regardless of size, ability, race, age, sexual orientation, perceived class, or other social identities. I will continue to explore new union organizing strategies so we can build a broader union movement together. I will work toward localizing our economy by creating a Co-Op development fund. My vision is to use our money to support democratic workplaces instead of giving it to for-profit corporations, who are actively attacking public institutions and workers everywhere. I will reach out to the retired, soon to retire, and all current members of Local 88 and capture their “Living Histories” to better understand where we have been, who we are, and where we are going. I will work towards building a union that embraces participatory democracy by including every member’s views in decision-making and strive to continue this culture throughout our union. If this sounds like what you want your union leadership to be, please take the time to vote for me.
