Public Employee Press

Activists gear up for workplace organizing
Local 372 "agents of change" mobilize

DC 37/AFSCME Strong is training shop stewards to engage their coworkers and urge them to become more active in the union. In October, Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549, Dept. of Education Employees Local 372 and Municipal Hospital Employees Union Local 420 held training sessions.

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

"Understanding Your Mission" was the theme of the DC 37 AFSCME/Strong training session for Local 372 shop stewards.

"Our shop stewards are agents of change," said Local 372 President Shaun D. Francois I, in his welcoming remarks at the Oct. 17 meeting. "As agents of change our mission is to motivate and inspire the membership so we can achieve the goal of the union's campaign of engaging 50,000 members."

The Saturday morning training, attended by 172 shop stewards, was organized by Local 372, the DC 37 Schools Division and the union's Organizing Dept.

Schools Division staff presented a workshop on how to reach out to members more effectively on the job and encouraged the shop stewards to form a partnership with the grievance reps in their schools.

Members get the message

The shop stewards were also given assignments to visit schools throughout the city and engage members in conversations about the union, and get those who have not to join the union. Each of the shop stewards was given an activist tool kit, which included union buttons, notebooks and union membership cards for when they make their visits.

"Our members are starting to get the message with these training sessions," said Local 372 Political Director Jacquelin Josefa Febrillet. "They understand that it's organize or die."

"Shop stewards are the foundation of our union," said Schools Division Director Marva Lewis-Bradford to the activists. "You represent our members and are responsible for delivering the union's message."