UE Convention Resolutions
Education for the Future
For over seventy years, UE has been a living example that democratic, rank-and-file unionism makes a difference. UE members have led historic struggles against concessions, plant closings, privatization, racial and gender discrimination. Studies show that strategies adopted by the UE rank-and-file built greater strength in the workplace and succeeded more often than those employed by top-down business unions.
To bring the power of the membership to bear on struggles with the employer on many different fronts requires not only an energized membership, but also vision and foresight. UE members and leaders need access to the skills, knowledge and lessons learned through decades of struggle, as well as time away from the workplace to share experiences and learn from our current struggles.
With the restructuring of the union, Regional meetings have been supplemented by sub-regional educational and leadership conferences. In the Western Region this has provided the opportunity to focus on leadership skills, preparation for bargaining as well as effective grievance handling and organizing. The Eastern Region has focused on worker rights, healthcare and building stronger locals. In the Northeast, Sub-regional meetings focused on steward training, member-to-member harassment and worker’s rights.
The healthcare and retirement security crisis heightened the need for tools and a strategy to address this assault on our economic security. After a UE Pension and Insurance Task Force was convened, a program of education, mobilization, tougher bargaining and political action was developed. "Fightback" materials were produced, including a tool book, buttons and stickers. Discussions were held at Regional and Local meetings. This is an ongoing crisis and our efforts to protect current benefits and fight for a real solution need to continue.
A strong, rank-and-file union depends on an educated, informed leadership, an effective steward system and an involved membership. Also key to strengthening the union and building solidarity are providing opportunities for members whose first language is not English to learn or improve their English as well as translating materials and discussions into the languages our members speak.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THIS 70th UE CONVENTION:
- Commits UE to continue providing educational materials and workshops that assist UE members in running effective local unions and successfully engaging in local, national and international struggles. This educational program should include but not be limited to:
- Regular training available to every local on grievance handling, democratic functioning, preparing for negotiations or meet and confer sessions, and in-shop struggles with the training tailored to the needs of the local;
- Continued special emphasis on addressing other difficult issues we face, such as the healthcare and retirement security crisis;
- Sub-regional educational conferences to provide an opportunity for both new and experienced local leaders, stewards and activists to increase their skills and learn from the knowledge and experiences of each other;
- Continuing to include a day of workshops at the UE National Convention and the development of workshops for use at regional, sub-regional and local membership meetings;
- The production and distribution of the UE Steward and other books, pamphlets and videos needed by local officers, stewards and members to effectively run their own local union and engage in struggle;
- The incorporation of political education that counteracts corporate media influence and promotes a working class consciousness and alternatives to the corporate agenda. This includes but is not limited to educational materials on national health insurance, globalization, and immigration;
- Maintenance of the UE web page to increase access to UE information and materials for both UE members and unorganized workers;
- Encourage locals to provide, however possible, learning opportunities for leaders, activists and members, including negotiating employer provided computer literacy training;
- The continued publication of the print and internet versions of the UE News in order to provide news and analysis of UE struggles around the country as well as political updates. UE locals are urged to ensure that every member receives the newspaper and to work for a broad distribution in the community whenever possible;
- Encouraging and advising individual locals to establish and use web sites to communicate and mobilize members on workplace issues and political action, including advice on describing the local’s history and accomplishments and how to design the site to achieve the greatest number of hits;
- Continued translation, where possible, of materials, including policies as needed, into Spanish and/or other languages to reach the broadest possible number of UE members. Sponsorship and/or initiation of English For Speakers of Other Languages(ESOL) classes either at the workplace or in the community in order to provide an opportunity for non-English speaking members to learn or improve their English in a supportive setting.
- Commits all UE locals to augment UE’s tradition of educating through action and involvement in collective bargaining, organizing and political struggles, with:
- Active encouragement and support of members, including women and people of color, to come forward and take initiative to develop greater leadership abilities;
- Education about the history and accomplishments of UE both nationally and locally. A model "This is your Union" sample brochure is available and the UE News can help with research on local union history.
- Regular publication of a local newsletter or leaflet, with copies sent to the national union to allow for the periodic distribution of copies to locals who participate in this program;
- Classes to introduce UE stewards and new and/or existing members to UE policies and structure and the locals’ collective bargaining agreement;
- Vigorous bargaining for the broadest possible Union leave that will enable members to fully participate in union activities such as local workshops, regional councils, national conventions, organizing campaigns and contract negotiations;
- Take the message of democratic rank-and-file unionism into the broader community, including non-union workplaces, and provide materials and classes to area schools to educate students on UE values, principles and contributions to society.