Record Number of Workers Attend This Year’s Labor Summer Institute
A record 150 workers took part in this year’s Labor Summer Institute at the University of Maine in Orono last week. The theme of the two-day event was “Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Stewards, Union Reps, Grievances, and Union Power” and featured several panels of union stewards discussing strategies for winning workplace fights and building power in their unions. The first Labor Summer Institute occurred in 1971.
Summer Institute attendees marched to the steps of the University of Maine’s Fogler Library to call on UMaine to agree to a fair first contract with graduate workers (UMGWU-UAW) who have been bargaining for over 600 days. Some attendees also accompanied Social Security workers (AFGE 1164) in celebrating Social Security’s 90th birthday with a cake in front of the offices of Senators Susan Collins and Angus King at the Federal Building in Bangor. This year, union leaders from the Bacardi rum company in Puerto Rico (UAW 2415) were also in attendance and shared their experiences organizing in the workplace. Legislators in attendance included Rep. Sean Faircloth (D-Bangor), Rep. Rafael Macias (D-Topsham), Rep Matt Beck (D - South Portland) and former Senate President Troy Jackson.
During a panel discussion, a ferry captain, nurse, Social Security employee, an ironworker and a Bacardi worker discussed strategies for engaging members, documenting workplace issues, using digital tools for communications, mentoring new stewards and the differences between steward roles in the public and private sectors, paper mills, hospitals and construction sites. Panelists also discussed how to get new employees to go to their shop steward rather than management when they have a problem. As USW 900 steward Eric McLean suggested, it is important to publicize steward victories to members so they understand how they can help on worksite issues.
Workers from different unions participated in several break-out sessions about how to get union members involved, having hard conversations with coworkers, friends and neighbors, building solidarity in the workplace, talking in depth with our Puerto Rican friends and meeting the Maine AFL-CIO's endorsed candidate for Governor, Troy Jackson.
Workers discussed how the bosses use racism, xenophobia, sexism, and other forms of bigotry to divide the working class and examined ways of addressing these tactics and how to deal with these difficult issues between members in the workplace. Other workshops included breakout sessions on navigating helplessness as a steward, faith and labor, a Q&A with seasoned stewards & more.
Student Olivia Galeano receives a round of applause for her presentation on Mexican sugar beet workers.
On Wednesday evening, APWU member Shane Blodgett performed a rap he wrote about the union’s contract fight. He was followed by Reeds Brook Middle School student Olivia Galeano, who gave her award-winning presentation titled “The Beets of Betrayal: Mexican Repatriation & Exploitation of Bestabeleros in the 1930s.” You can read her report here. IAM Local S6 members John Cabral and John Stejskal gave an overview of our canvassing program to elect pro-labor candidates and rallied the crowd to volunteer to elect Troy Jackson for Governor. APWU member Danny Bailey did a brief presentation on her pro-labor Valentines cards and made a pitch for workers to join the Maine AFL-CIO Arts Committee that focuses on incorporating art and music in the labor movement. If you would like to join the Arts Committee email andy@maineaflcio.org
Towards the end of Summer Institute everyone worked together in groups to come up with a list of issues to bargain for the common good. These demands — such as Medicare for All, affordable housing, universal child and elder care, universal retirement security — are part of what we might call a “A Contract with the Maine's Working Class”
Members of the Maine Service Employees Association (SEIU 1989) at Labor Summer Institute.