Unions. Love them, hate them.

Despite how glorious it was to hear the mission of organized labor within the confines of Orientation at North Park University the practical realities of organized labor have personified the decline of organized labor in the workplace. The UFCW Local in rural Indiana has a tainted track record amongst their members at the Tyson meatpacking plant. When I tell them that the UFCW provided the initial funding and direction of the center workers begin becoming skeptical of the center.

For the last few years the workers at the Tyson meatpacking plant have complained about the lack of attention the union reps and stewards direct to their needs. Some will accuse that one of the reps works for Tyson rather than the union. Since I have arrived in Logansport, the breakdown in the relationship between the reps and the workers are a two-edge sword.

I read an article in the Social Policy magazine http://www.socialpolicy.org/ called "Overcoming Addition" 12 steps that labor unions need to do to overcome the corporate, power structure that they are organizing against to better the lives of its members. Reps and organizers have not been doing a good job at building leadership amongst their members and the members are expecting the union to do everything for them and not realizing that being a member of a union requires work on their behalf.

Many of the workers do not attend the meetings at the union halls and pay $25 a month for their dues without demanding anything in return and some workers can care less.

Even though the center is in its earliest phases I hope that it will be a place that the community and workers can develop leadership qualities can build positive, effective change and have them realize their own power.