Members will make the difference
President Walker announces 2016 contract campaign focus: take action
Local 1000 has launched its 2016 contract campaign with these words from President Yvonne R. Walker: “Our contract will be about the strength and the power of our members to win something amazing.”
Speaking to members statewide on a conference call for Local 1000 stewards and hundreds more who heard the call at listening parties, Walker looked forward to the upcoming negotiations feeling confident about the preparation that’s gone before.
“This is the year where we are going to step out onto the field – where we are taking all of the leadership development we’ve done with our members, all the fights we’ve been through as state workers and all the heart we’ve all put in to building this union – and we’re going to put it to work.”
Our contract expires July 1, 2016. Local 1000’s bargaining team has been meeting since July to prepare their coworkers and the members they represent to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with them to win a great contract. Negotiations will begin with the state sometime in March.
Building member power
Walker spoke about the impact members make on successful negotiations. “In order to maximize our power at the bargaining table, we need to be strategic and ready to show the state how serious we are about our work and this contract.”
“We need to grow our membership. It sends a message to the state that we stand together. It tells the state that thousands of members stand behind our bargaining proposals, that they are committed to the union, and they are ready to fight for this contract and for one another.”
This contract campaign is about utilizing our strength, our relationships with one another and our ability to stand together and call on something bigger than ourselves. That’s where our power comes from, and that’s how we get the best possible contract,” said Walker.