Early this year I joined the National Staff full-time as an Organizer and Women’s Caucus Chair. In my new role, there are a few initiatives that I would like to develop in order to increase participation and engagement of women across our locals. It’s more than just forming a Women’s Committee within our respective locals, outreach, community service, and branding. Internal organizing and organizing the unorganized should be our focus, as well as educating future women leaders. This is an ongoing process that should not lose momentum; growing the labor movement and creating leaders.
Organizing the unorganized is a new frontier for me, but I am up for the challenge. I strongly believe that women can be impactful in this realm. In many instances, we are organizing industry sectors that predominately employ women. When organizers reflect the workers who are being organized, we can achieve better results. It’s a WIN, WIN. It is my hope that more women within our locals will be encouraged to look for opportunities to organize internally by committing to mentor at least one woman within their local to become more involved and to explore the possibility of becoming an organizer.
Lastly, the Women’s Caucus has attended many leadership development seminars, workshops, and summer school programs. As a result, we are able to include some of the lessons learned from these teachings in our work and presentations. We are working on a project that will enable women within our rank and file to re-engage, re-energize, mentor and be empowered to take on more leadership roles.
Sisters, let’s empower one another to be the best that we can be! Standing together, shoulder to shoulder in our commitment to reach back to bring another sister along in the labor movement.