From the Desk of Board Chair Bill Hall

Happy Thanksgiving to my brothers and sisters of Local 1000.

As we move into our traditional holiday season I wanted to reach out and wish all of our represented employees, and their families, a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday.

It’s a time for all of us to pause, and take inventory of the things in our life that we’re thankful for. I’d like to share with you some of the things that lift my heart this season:

I’m thankful for all the meaningful conversations I’ve had with my fellow state workers and union members, and for the insight they provide. And, for the work we have done to return our Local to a stable and productive organization.

We’re all thankful for the challenging and extraordinary work done by the members who stepped up and participated in the Committee on the Future. As a group, they exhibited respect, commitment, honesty and a bold vision for our Local.

Our Board of Directors, who executed bold votes after thoughtful conversations and debate in adopting the recommendations from the Committee on the Future. They have earned your support working to move our Local forward.

I’m thankful for our new contract, and all our members who participated in the negotiations. It’s a very good contract that put more money in our pocket, including 41,000 of the lowest-paid of our workforce. We couldn’t have done it without our staff and union members from our Wednesday and ROC programs who organized and participated in all of our contract actions.

We can all thank the Local 1000 staff, who work to improve our lives every day.  We have intelligent, reliable professionals working at Local 1000.  I am very thankful for having them here at our Local. At the same time, we should remember those who have passed on … we lost too many staff members this past year, dedicated unionists who contributed to Local 1000 and our continued success.

I am thankful and humbled by the support I have received in moving our Local to a place of stability, and particularly thankful for my wife, who is completely supportive of me and my dedication to Local 1000 along with the labor movement as a whole.

This holiday is also a time to think those close to us for whom this is a particularly hard time of the year. I ask that if you know someone who is having a difficult time, reach out to them.  If you are struggling, ask for help. We are after all a union family, a family of state employees who share much in common.

I wish you the best the holiday has to offer.

William (Bill) Hall
Board Chair, SEIU Local 1000
bhall@seiu1000.org