Local 1813

These past few months, some of you have heard me talking about “building a community”. That is what Local 1813 is in the process of doing. Our community encompasses people from widely different places, backgrounds and work histories. The common goal, our shared interest, is supporting our school system educate our children.

Our roles in the schools cover a wide spectrum: we feed the children and clean up after them, we help them tie their shoes and we help them learn math. We sing with them and play with them, and sometimes have to sit in time out with them. We keep the schools supplied with paper, crayons and kick balls for recess. Our members are a vibrant part of our district and willingly shoulder the burden of keeping our children engaged, valued and safe. It is a respected and proud community.

We have had our struggles these past few years, but are working to put them behind us. In the past year, our members have joined together and spoke with one voice. Our leadership has two sides, a quiet, laid back and wait side, and an emotional, “lead the charge and act side” that combine to give us the best of both – a calmer force that demands attention.

This past week we found out that we are not able to re-gain something that most of us feel was taken from us without appropriate consideration. As frustrating as this decision is, we must continue to move forward and think about how far we have come as a local - as a community.

Our Local has made a commitment to each other by joining together at meetings, at social events, and volunteering in our community. We have joined together to share our knowledge and better ourselves professionally. With the development of new committees, we are acknowledging our members on a personal level - reaching out in times of loss and encouraging in times of sickness. The recent loss of one our members had deeply affected each one of us, the memory of her brave smile forever etched in our hearts.  

Together we can do great things. Trust that the example that we set by our actions and words will have a positive effect on those around us, and that truth always wins.