08/20/2026
Lots of red shirts in the room at this week’s union meeting. Over 130 new members in one meeting. We’re organizing and growing like never before.
That growth comes with a huge responsibility...for new members and longtime members alike.
For new members, it starts with understanding what you’re getting into and knowing what we stand for. For our longtime members, it's understanding that we have a role in this, too: welcoming and befriending new members, leading by example in our dedication to craftmanship, and teaching them what unionism and brotherhood/sisterhood on the job really means.
We often spend more time with our coworkers than we do with our families, so we might as well cultivate a culture of belonging to something greater than ourselves.
To the many new members who were sworn in and stayed to see how we conduct our business as a brotherhood, we thank you, and we hope to see you next month as well.
For those who took the oath and left, remember: you’ll get out of this what you put into it. Growth in membership takes new people. But growth in purpose and power takes commitment to something greater than yourself, and an understanding of the group you've joined. That starts with the oath. It is not a formality. It is a FOUNDATION.
You can get a job anywhere. But your protection, your brotherhood and sisterhood, and your union family are here, if you choose to be a part of it.
