This is a year of leveling up. Women’s Caucus members are making intentional transformations. These sisters are on the wings of change to make impactful differences in their respective locals, regions, and national union. Women on a mission are seeking opportunities to improve the lives of girls and young women. They’re creating partnerships in their communities. They’re mentoring, networking, conducting leadership development, and increasing member engagement.
We know we are stronger together. We are achieving a solidarity dividend from building on our commonalities and utilizing our differences as tools to bridge communication gaps and share lived experiences.
We’re taking the advice of the “Notorious RBG” (Ruth Bader Ginsburg): “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” We’re prioritizing the identification and tapping of underutilized resources as these are essential to our survival and growth as a union. Women’s acumen and expertise is key to advancing the labor movement. We must strategically integrate women’s voices into leadership, political action and other union campaigns. Increasing leadership roles for women can be achieved through training programs, advocacy, mentorship, and commitment to developing a diverse pipeline of decision-makers.
The labor movement gains are limitless when women have a seat at the tables where decisions are being made. Inclusion creates a win-win dividend for all involved. We learn the value of investing in the leadership of membership. Amazing victories are won when leaders with new perspectives are part of team dynamics. We learn the importance of leveraging our experiences to serve within the union and the communities we serve. And we better understand the strategic value of union membership and the labor movement as a critical force for economic and social advancement of families and communities. Do we see the strategic value of women? Yes!
This year’s convention theme, “Essential by Industry, Exceptional by Choice: Embracing Our Differences, Leveraging Our Strength, and Determining Our Future Together” recognizes the value of collaboration to build our union’s future.