With Contract Bargaining Just Months Away, Now is the Time to Step up and Take Action

Brad Willis—the Unit 11 Bargaining Chair for the past 10 years—has seen many changes in contract negotiations over the past decade, but one thing remains constant: “The only way we make progress is to stand up and take action, real action, to let the state know what we want.” 

Willis took his first steps as a union activist over a disputed pay differential. “I learned that taking action meant getting out of my cubicle and talking with my coworkers, talking with management and not taking ‘no’ for an answer,” Willis said. 

He says that his Unit 11 coworkers—nearly 2,800 strong—can make a difference in upcoming negotiations by doing the same thing. “A strong and connected membership is the only way to win better wages and working conditions.” 

“We can’t make progress sitting in a cubicle, sending emails,” Willis says. “When we go to the bargaining table, the state responds to our demands when our members are active and engaged. It’s not about fairness; it’s about projecting power.” 

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