WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
Click Here - Which Labor Leader Are You?
I hope you had fun with the quiz, courtesy of Union Plus!
In reality, leadership isn't about having a title or position, it's about courage, character and behavior. It takes time and happens one step at a time.
Are you ready? What can you do?
STAGE TWO
From WOMEN’S UNION LEADERSHIP: CLOSING THE GENDER GAP
Michelle Kaminski and Elaine K. Yakura
The second stage in the process of developing union leaders is developing
basic skills. In the union setting, this might mean working on a committee, taking
workshops to improve communication skills, or learning a technical skill that is
central to the union such as grievance handling or organizing. Union activists in
this stage benefit greatly from having a mentor. A good mentor can provide
opportunities to put new skills into use, provide encouragement about the
member’s skill and capability, and offer guidance and advice when requested. A
second factor that particularly helps activists in this stage is belonging to a group
of peers who meet regularly and are at a similar stage of development. The peers
can be a huge asset to each other, because they can ask questions without fear of
being embarrassed in front of their mentor.
As Teamster women, one of the best places to build your "basic skills" is at the annual women's conference! There's always a wide variety and range of workshops to chose from like organizing, mobilizing members, political action and basic steward skills that will prepare you for leadership in our union. Take at look at this video from the conference in New York!
Have you started making plans to get to this years conference in Hollywood? From the classic work of Anne Nelson and Barbara Wertheimer in Trade Union Women: A Study of their Participation in New York City Locals, having the opportunity to get training and education made a key difference to women. Of course we already know education empowers! "DANGER EDUCATED TEAMSTER WOMAN!" T-shirt?
As great as our Teamster Women's conferences are, there are other opportunities for union education. The AFL CIO has an extensive list of universities that offer low cost training workshops that may be in your own back yard.
AFL CIO List
How about the UALE women's summer schools? Or like Mother Jones said, "Sit down and read. Educate yourself for the coming conflicts." I think you'd be surprised to find a wealth of information right at your fingertips! How could you build your skills if you have 1 hour to spare a week? Half hour? Is there something we can do every day to build Teamster power?
The 2nd factor that can help activist in this stage is joining a women's committee and/or the Teamster Women Facebook Group! We're using today's social media to empower and mentor each other. We're sharing what we have learned along with resources and ideas on how we can build power in our union and become leaders. We're connecting, networking and bonding in real relationships that would have taken years to build a decade ago. Women's lives are busy and sometimes it's hard to find time to attend union meetings, educational workshops or travel to a conference. Teamster Women Facebook Group is a place to connect all year round, on our own time and in real time that really works! Listen to Lori's (a founding member of TWFG) mentoring story...
The basics of leadership haven't changed much over the last 100 years.
What are you waiting for?
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