The members of UE Local 613 — teachers, speech language pathologists, and registered nurses at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children — are educators, so it is fitting that this past spring, they decided the strengthen their local union through an educational series.
The “UE Education Series” was created by Local 613 member Alison Oniboni, who was elected president of the local in April. “Our members just kept saying that we needed training,” said Oniboni, “but at the same time, the majority of the membership wasn’t showing up to the intermittent regional trainings that happen every now and then. So, I kept thinking why are we waiting for someone to do this for us or asking UE staff for something that we can do ourselves?”
Oniboni developed four “micro” training sessions, on UE structure, how things work, and being an active member; successful union meetings, communication, and solidarity; “pro-active and in-the-moment job protection”; and preparing for a good contract. (Local 613’s current contract will expire in the fall of 2026, and it’s never too early to begin preparing for contract negotiations.)
Alison Oniboni, Local 613, shows her co-workers some of the resources available on the UE website.
The sessions were scheduled from 1-1:45pm, during a common lunch break at the school. The local also held Zoom versions of the training sessions in the evening for those who could not attend the in-person trainings. The trainings proved so popular, with one to two dozen members attending each one, that the local added a fifth “bonus” session on investigatory meetings, led by UE Field Organizer Ben Wilson.
In her shop report to the Eastern Region council meeting in April, Oniboni said she made use of the extensive resources available on the UE website: “That’s your curriculum, right there.” She also noted that, at the time she created the workshop series, she did not hold an elected office in her local, but she took the initiative because “I really do believe that the power lies within the general membership.”