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A little reminder and message to our young generation of workers and union members: The history of our labor unions goes beyond your generation, your parents, your grandparents … We fight and stand together as brothers and sisters, because of the tremendous fight before us. Unions fought and suffered for you to have safe working conditions, fair wages, benefits, the 40 hour work week with compensation for overtime, a mission to establish the middle class with livable wages, and the list goes on and on.
To the workers who want to be petty and use social media to slam the union fight that continues, and began way before you have imagined, don’t be selfish. If you think these great corporate companies will grant you what you deserve, by all means, negotiate your own individual contract. Just try. Give way to your health insurance, which many workers in other companies would love to have. Give up on your overtime pay for hours worked during the week beyond the 40 hours. Give up your bonus. Convince them what you deserve to be paid for your skills and insist on tremendous benefits that so many companies do not think you deserve. We, as union brothers and sisters, know the struggle our former and past brothers and sisters have endured. Respect them! They showed pride, dedication, strength, compassion and a fight for many things that we – you – are enjoying without realizing the sacrifices that were made. We must stand together, support each other, and represent our ancestors with dignity and pride. We – you- should learn how to appreciate a fight that involves, and has involved, so many hardworking men and women. We must remain “Union Strong”!
/s/ Joey B. Martinez
Retired Member
Ex-Officer USW Local 915
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