Animar a nuestros miembros de base a participar en el proceso político de nuestra nación puede ser un desafío para cualquier oficial o delegado de la UE, pero es un trabajo importante que se debe realizar. No podemos pasar por alto las decisiones de nuestro gobierno, ya sea en el legislativo o las cortes, que impactan a la gente trabajadora.
Engaging our rank-and-file members in our nation’s political process can be a vexing challenge for any UE officer or shop steward, but it’s important work that needs to get done. We can’t overlook that the decisions our governments make, whether in the legislature or the courts, impact working people.
“Hay una diferencia entre la acción política y el jugar a la política. Cuando confrontamos a los políticos y logramos la legislación que ambicionamos, la UE no está jugando a la política; estamos participando en la acción política. No frotamos nuestras barrigas con los políticos. Hay mucho aire entre nosotros. Uno puede ver la luz. Hoy día, intenta encontrar el aire y la luz entre las barrigas de los dirigentes sindicales y las barrigas de los políticos. No hay. No lo encontrará. Están jugando a la política”.
“There is a difference between political action and playing politics. When we fought the politicians and we won what legislation we did, UE didn't play politics; we engaged in political action. We didn't rub bellies with the politicians. There was plenty of air between us. You could see light. Today, try to find some air and light between the bellies of labor leaders and the bellies of politicians. No go. You won't find it. They are playing politics.”
—UE Leader James Matles, addressing the 1975 UE National Convention.
NOTE: This UE Steward has not been updated in over a decade, and so it may contain out-of-date information.
The Union Committee for the Town employees of Causewell were prepared for a tough negotiations. They knew that the budget was tight because the town was not getting an increase in aid from the state.