The UE General Executive Board (GEB) met in Pittsburgh on May 28 and 29. The union’s highest decision-making body in between conventions, the GEB is made up of eight elected rank-and-file members from each geographical region, along with the three national officers.
During the Organizational Report, Director of Organization Mark Meinster noted that Local 300’s first contract at Cornell University was “the toughest fight we’ve had,” with the employer explicitly citing Trump’s election as a reason they were not going to agree to union shop. (Though, faced with a strike threat, the employer eventually did agree to union shop.)
Across different sectors of the economy, Meinster said, “bosses are using the fact that we have an anti-union administration now to strengthen their hand in negotiations.”
During his Financial Report, Secretary-Treasurer Andrew Dinkelaker introduced five new members of the national office administrative staff: Bookkeeper Megan Moffitt, Human Resources Manager Korena Herbert, Finance Director Carolyn Martyn, Membership Coordinator Jordan Romanus and Paralegal Laura Perkins, explaining how these new positions would allow the National Union to effectively support locals. After reviewing the union’s finances over the past fiscal year, the board approved a budget for the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year, one that further expands the union’s capacity to organize new members, provide support for existing locals, and engage in militant struggle to defend the members’ interests.
The board also reviewed the union’s political action, education and international work, and had a robust discussion of how best to ensure that the principles of rank-and-file unionism are upheld throughout the union and passed along to new members.