Region 8 Goes to Summer School
By Jim Adams
Photos by Joe McClure
The thunder, fury and excitement of a Volunteers game came early to
The University of Tennessee, July 13th through 18th, as 266 representatives
of UAW Locals across Region 8 met in Knoxville and converged upon the U.T. Campus for UAW Region 8 Summer School. Mixed with a large
group of Retiree’s from across the Region, the students learned
ways to better serve their Memberships, while being paid a large dose
of Solidarity and Brotherhood. “I’ve had a rebirth of the
Union sprit,” claimed one Sister who attended Summer School, her
sentiments echoed by all who participated.
Region 8 Director Gary Casteel opened the Summer School
with a call to Social Activism. Participants were challenged to organize
and rebuild the ranks of a declining United Auto Workers organization.
He showed students that Region 8 has done more organizing in the past
few years than the entire UAW across the Nation. Yet, our ranks have
still faced a decline of nearly 20,000 Members. He spoke of the struggles
facing Union Members and organizers in states suffering the burden of
“Right to Work” Legislation Casteel persuaded Summer School
Students to become Political Activists pointing to egregious and loathsome
legislation introduced during the current Bush Administration. Legislation
designed to lower the American standard of living and destroy our middle
class. Casteel stated: “The Comp Time Legislation that you defeated
through your grass roots efforts is a call to wake up and smell the
coffee that is brewing in this Nation.” Casteel closed by mobilizing
Summer School students to take the education they would receive this
week, back to their locals and to carry their torch of knowledge to
enlighten to their Sisters and Brothers.
Region 8 Summer School Students were honored with a
lecture by UAW International Vice President, Bob King. King, who directs
the Union’s National Organizing Department, shared with students
the need to rebuild Union Density. Pointing to specific facts, King
showed students how America is losing 69,000 jobs per month under the
current Bush Administration. He educated Summer School Students on the
vast decline of the American Middle Class and the loss of political
power that Unions are facing. Vice-President King mentored Summer School
Students to, “think outside the box,” and challenged Students
to develop creative strategies to rebuild the number of members we have
lost. King praised the efforts of brilliant UAW leaders paying individual
honor to UAW Local 1853 Chairman Mike Herron and Local 1853 President
Rick Martinez, who negotiated first hire rights for laid-off Amalgamate
Members. “Our Union needs the brilliant minds of men like these,
who aren’t afraid to take bold steps and use their genius to benefit
others,” King exalted.
 Summer
School Students were treated to an overabundance of knowledge as every
Student was offered a curriculum of 11 courses. Each course hammered
epiphany after epiphany and inflamed the students to become organizers,
social and political activists. Roy Thomas, teaching a class titled:
“Building the UAW’s Influence Through CAP,” informed
Students that, “Region 8 will elect the next President of the
United States. I am often told that Members can’t afford to contribute
to CAP. To them I reply, you can’t afford not to contribute,”
Roy enlightened his students. In a course titled: “Taking Back
the Chairs,” Joe Rypkowski demonstrated the loss of wealth in
America for working people and how the average CEO earns 479 times the
income of their workers.
In a “Families in Change” class, Students
were given awareness of the need to negotiate Elder-Care and were awakened
to the fact that if every American would refund Bush’s $300.00
tax break, America could afford to give every Senior Citizen free prescription
drugs for the rest of their lives. Students learned the frustration
faced by people of color in America in, “Building Solidarity through
Diversity.” They learned how to use the, “Worker to Worker”
program to build Solidarity in their Memberships. They studied their
rights under the Family Medical Leave Act and Americans with Disabilities
Act. They learned to handle Grievances and Civil Rights Complaints.
They deliberated the importance of Standing Committees, Retired Worker’s
Issues and Effective Lobbying Techniques.
As each Summer School Student attended each class, they
learned facts not taught in the curriculum. They learned that they came
from 12 states from across Region 8, yet they shared the same struggles
and obstacles. They learned that whether their Locals numbered in the
thousands or less than a few dozen that they faced common enemies, common
foe and were preparing to fight similar battles. Somewhere in Summer
School amongst the facts and figures, amongst the epiphanies and debates
they learned the concept of Solidarity and as the Sister said: “The
rebirth of the Union sprit,” began.
Congratulations to Region 8 Director Gary Casteel, Assistant
Region 8 Director Donnie Bevis and all who worked so hard to make the
2003 Region 8 Summer School a success. This year saw a bold format change
that facilitated an ease of learning for all Summer School Students.
On behalf of all who attended this year's Summer School we thank each
instructor and each person who participated behind the scene to make
this a rich, rewarding and eye-opening experience. |
