OUR VOICES. OUR MOMENTS.

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00:00 Hi, do you have a union contract book?

00:02 Yes, I do.

00:03 I have a paper version and I also have an electronic version that my local sent to me

00:08 and I access it daily many times a day.

00:12 And have you ever participated in the grievance process in any way?

00:16 Yes, I have.

00:17 Many, many times.

00:18 I've been a steward for 20 years, currently Vice President, Executive Steward.

00:24 So I've been in plenty of pre-D meetings, discipline being issued, the grievance process

00:30 itself, first level, second level, and third level. And you've already shared how

00:35 long you've been a union steward, 20 years? Yes. How many stewards do we have

00:39 in local 2600? Our list just got updated yesterday. We're working on revamping it a

00:45 little bit, approximately 40, maybe a little more.

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00:00 Do you have a union contract book? Yes, I do. I actually have a paper copy and I also have an electronic copy that my local sent me that I access many times a day, every day.

00:12 Have you participated in the grievance process in any way? Yes, in many ways over the past 20 years.

00:21 During the through the pre-d process through the actual grievance process first level second level third level

00:28 And also labor management meetings and how long have you been a union steward for 20 years?

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00:01 How many Union stewards are in local 2600?

00:04 Currently we have at least 40 plus as you know we have very many locations

00:09 with lots of members spread out. We are one of the biggest locals in the state

00:13 and as vice president executive steward I am very involved with our stewards in

00:21 our local and as well as the grievance process and third level.

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00:01 Do you have a union contract book?

00:03 Yes, I do.

00:04 I actually have a hard copy and an electronic copy that my local sent me that I access every

00:10 day all day for all kinds of different reasons.

00:14 And have you participated in the grievance process in any way?

00:18 Yes, I've been a steward for 20 years.

00:20 I'm also the vice president executive steward of the local, so I have participated in many

00:25 predies, grievance, the grievance process, step one, step two, step three, and labor

00:31 management meetings. And you just shared you've been a steward for 20 years. How

00:36 many stewards do we have in local 2600? At the moment we have 40 plus. We also

00:42 have very many locations with lots of members. We are the biggest local in the

00:46 state.

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00:00 Can you tell me about our founder of 2600? Our founding president is Mr. Hewitt Douglas.

00:07 He is a former state employee, worked for the state of Illinois for over 40 years,

00:14 stayed with the same department, his entire working legacy. He is born and raised in

00:22 Whitesville, Tennessee, a product of East St. Louis by way of Chicago, Illinois. He started his

00:28 career as a political appointee, moved through the ranks through DDS as an

00:35 adjudicator, trainee, and then retired as a hearings disability officer. And what

00:44 is your current role here at the Local Twin Cities? I follow my father's footsteps and I

00:49 am president of this local. As a legacy, I truly understand the importance of the

00:58 labor movement and self-advocacy and understanding the need for somebody to

01:05 fight collectively for equitable change. Union labor is really close to my heart

01:11 not just because of my father but because who I am as a person. I'm a black woman

01:17 in here in America and with our history of chattel slavery and inequitable

01:23 treatment of women, it's so important and vital to be part of something that is not

01:29 just collectively making one person better, but the entire world.

01:35 Because when those of us that are disenfranchised, marginalized, or just trodden are lifted

01:41 up in power and equity, then we all become better.

01:45 Thank you Serena Douglas, local 2600 president, legacy.

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00:00 have to care about the cost. Maybe it takes away business from you know my

00:05 organization so I hate it and then maybe Angie here she doesn't really care

00:11 about the policy but you know Sharina is the sponsor and she's pissed off at

00:17 Sharina. You lay laugh. That happens all the time. What if my bills got tanked? What if our bills got

00:25 taped because of our sponsor and people were angry with her.

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00:00 to be the lead sponsor. Oh, okay. Now, in certain circumstances, you know, each bill

00:06 can have, you have a main sponsor and then you have what they call chief

00:10 cokes. A bill could have like four chief cokes and then everybody else is a

00:15 co-sponsor. Chief co-sponsors in certain circumstances can move the bill. We

00:22 had a situation where we were trying to pass a bill for our DSP locals. You know,

00:28 we would get money in the budget for them to get pay raises.

00:32 And then we would get this language

00:33 that said the employers have to pass the money on

00:35 in the form of wage increases, but there was no process.

00:39 That's the problem.

00:40 Yeah, there was no process to make sure they did it.

00:43 Yeah.

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00:02 It can really affect our lives and affect our work and everything.

00:06 The only thing I don't know how I feel about it is the idea of like setting the bag down.

00:15 I don't think that like in absolute that it's completely possible to just kind of like set the bag down metaphorically.

00:24 So, I guess part of this is...

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00:00 them in their organizations I'm like what do you not know this the community of

00:04 Springfield Springfield always shows up for us so thank you very much sorry for

00:09 my emotional stay I don't know what's wrong with me today but sometimes p.m.

00:14 just gets that way

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00:52 And then we, I thought, okay, maybe this is what I said, and then we'll find more and more.

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00:00 nor the song, and if you don't, it's fine. I'm sure you'll catch on with the chorus.

00:06 When the Union's inspiration through the border's blood shall run.

00:10 There can be no power winter anywhere beneath the sun.

00:14 But what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one?

00:18 But the Union makes us strong.

00:23 Solidarity forever.

00:27 Solidarity forever. Solidarity forever. For the union makes us strong.

00:39 Is there ought be hold in common with the greedy parasite?

00:43 Who would lash up into surfdom and would crush us with his might?

00:47 Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight?

00:51 For the union makes us strong.

00:55 Solidarity forever! Solidarity makes us strong!

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Music and singing. Lyrics have not been transcribed. See the visual description above.

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00:00 We all have

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