|
 The Human Rights Committee continues to reach out to locals and members to provide advocacy, training and support in the areas of human rights/ civil rights. As part of our work, the committee just recently completed a PowerPoint presentation and is now eager to make it available to locals for training and workshops. The first slide of the presentation reads: “Diversity is who we are, how we live, how we work, and our different ideologies. It encompasses technical and functional skills and knowledge, as well as educational and experiential differences. It goes to the root of how we communicate, listen, respond to, and share information with each other. It impacts our openness to new opportunities and ideas; it is the foundation for trust building behaviors. It goes beyond race, gender and ethnicity.”
Locals and members who are interested in using the presentation can contact the Human Rights Committee through the National office.
Three members recently joined the committee. They are:
|
Milagros Valentin-Grantham - Region I
Miagros Valentin-Grantham is a member of New York Local 1-2, working at Con Edison for 12 years as a senior meter technician. She’s been a shop steward for Local 1-2 for the past five years. “When I went to the UWUA Power 4 America Conference, I was able to meet with other Human Rights Committee members,” says Valentin-Grantham, who was then motivated to join.
Valentin-Grantham’s involvement with the Human Rights Committee and the Young Workers Committee is something of a personal matter, as she is also the mother of an older teenage daughter. “She’s starting to relate now. When she learned how many of these stores – Walmart, Target – are anti-union, she was shocked. Being on this committee helps other workers but also helps my daughter and her friends.”
|
|
 |
Matthew Marfione - Region I
Matthew Marfione is a short-time Local 369 member out of Boston. At a young age, Matt began to understand the importance of being in a union. “I grew up in a dual union household, there was a lot of union pride. I wanted to be involved however I could,” says Marfione, who began working for NStar Electric in Boston as an underground lineworker five-and-a-half-years ago, then only 23. “We didn’t really have anyone young representing us; it was more of the older, more experienced generation. I want to see the excitement of being in a union passed on to everyone else that is around us and in other locals. The passion is there, we have to pass that passion onto the newcomers.”
|
|
 |
Kelli Lacy - Region V
Kelli Lacy is a customer service representative and a back-up lead for the Southern California Gas Company. She’s been with the company 10 years and with Local 132 for six years. “In September 2010, I was approached about my interest in being a part of the Human Rights Committee. I was honored, and excited about the prospect of being part of such a great group and serving our members,” says Lacy.
“The Human Rights Committee is such an amazing group. I am still learning. But I hope to learn how to communicate more effectively with my local leaders and our members. This will help us to communicate more effectively with the communities we live in, thereby making us a stronger union not only locally, but nationally.”
|
|
· www.uwua.net
