First Encounters

She works four jobs, one being full-time, in addition to taking care of her family and trying to have a personal life. As one of three committee members in a very large "shop," her contributions as a leader within the union are invaluable. Throughout our conversation she never complained, instead she talked about the struggles of trying to make it in our society, the benefits she received from being part of the union, and her commitment to helping find more leaders from her workplace. She is the reason I am doing this and a reminder of how real, how raw, of an experience this summer is going to be for me.

My own middle-class upbringing and stable family life protected me from facing many of the struggles encountered by millions of people within the United States every single day. Hardworking individuals who are constantly trying to provide for their family and just make it one more day. Meanwhile, the efforts of their labor allows for the CEO's and stockholders of large companies to reap large financial benefits. Something is clearly amiss when some members of society must work 80 hours of week for their own economic survival and others have the resources to spend lavishly on absurd luxuries. The goal of a union is to correct these injustices by ensuring that an individual is justly compensated for the work he or she contributes to the overall success of a company.

All this sounds great in theory, but one gains a whole different perspective on the situation from talking with those who have endured these struggles and listening to their experiences. While every issue and debate in the world of labor involves political considerations, complex policy issues, and lots of talk centered around dollars and cents, one must never forget the people at the very core of these issues. Real people, with real lives and real struggles, are deeply affected by every policy decision affecting labor and every contract negotiated by a union. Unions are all about harnessing the power of the people and empowering people to fight for justice within their workplace. This summer is an opportunity for me to contribute to these efforts in a very small way. The focus of this work is caring for God's Children and those lessons are going to last way long after this experience ends and summer turns into fall.