Members of the UWUA’s three national committees – Human Rights, Young Workers, and the Women’s Caucus – will host numerous activities at the Power for America’s third National Conference on October 18-20.
The important perspectives and expertise the three national committees bring to the conference will help meet the conference goal of helping to re-energize careers of seasoned veterans, train emerging new leaders, and move the union forward.
Human Rights Committee
The important work done by the Human Rights Committee to bring the membership together will be highlighted by the conference keynote speaker, Mary Frances Winters, whose talk is entitled “Cultures of Diversity and Inclusion.”
“As trade unionists, we can’t afford to let anything such as race, color, creed, religion, whatever, separate us,” says Human Rights Committee Chair Clint Carson. “We all want the same things and, working together as union brothers and sisters, we can get them.”
Carson says the Human Rights Committee wants everyone to understand that, “There are powerful forces in our country that want to keep us divided. So we must ask, ‘Why do they want to divide us?’ The answer is easy,” he says. “If we are separated, we cannot accomplish our goal. We must unite and fight together to protect our jobs and our communities!”
Young Workers Initiative Committee
The Young Workers Initiative Committee (YWIC) will give a presentation entitled “The Effective Use of Social Media to Promote the Union Brand.”
The presentation will focus on ways to improve the perception of unions both with the general public and, more importantly, with UWUA members. The YWIC will discuss how, by highlighting member skills and the important role they play in keeping the lights on and the water running, a sense of pride and honor in being a UWUA member can increase the power of the union.
The presentation will also address changing the perception of unions with the general public. To this end, the committee will show the benefits and value in building strong allies through community partnerships.
Finally, as the title of the presentation suggests, the use of social media can be a very effective tool in promoting the union agenda to improve the lives of its members, their families and their communities.
Women’s Caucus
The National Women’s Caucus will feature a workshop on “Women in Non-Traditional Jobs.” The workshop will begin with an introduction of phenomenal women who have shaped the labor movement and the impact that the Women’s March on Washington had on re-energizing women in the public and private sectors around the injustices that still prevail regarding women’s rights.
Grassroots activism fueled the march, in which UWUA members participated. This sent a clear message to politicians that women will not stand down in the face of attacks on their fundamental rights, and that they will hold anti-choice and anti-women politicians accountable.
Panelists will include exceptional women that work in non-traditional jobs, such as gas laborer, gas line worker, millwright journeyman, and electric technician. The purpose of identifying non-traditional options will foster interest in, and access to, careers with the goal of opening up professions to women, the under-represented gender.