 |
FROM YOUR EDITOR
I trust that all of you had a good Holiday Season. Now that we are into the New Year, expect that lots of challenges will be facing us as the year progresses. The Legislative session is now underway with a continuing mentality of more cuts in the state budget….and it’s potential impact on you. This year, 1998, will be an election year for many of our state legislators and for the office of governor. Later this year will also see the beginning of our negotiations for our next state contract. It’s got all the makings of very active year.
With such challenges ahead of us, how can you help?! Volunteering your time and effort is a good way to help. This article by our Anchorage Chapter Chief Steward, Judy Morris, best states the importance of volunteering:
A CALL FOR STEWARDS
The Anchorage Chapter needs more volunteers. One area in such need is the position of shop steward.
Being a shop steward is not an easy job. It has it’s good times as well as it’s bad. There are openings for stewards in the Anchorage Chapter. Stewards meet once a month, the fourth Wednesday of every month. These meetings heavily focus on training. This training is geared so each steward can get the knowledge needed for doing their job. By being a steward you will be up to date on what is going on within our state union, ASEA. You will know the contract and know your rights as a state employee. Being a steward can help you and your co-workers.
It is important that the Anchorage Chapter have enough volunteers. If you are not sure about volunteering as a steward, at least come to one of our meetings. We try to keep the steward meetings to one hour. Refreshments are served at these meetings.
To volunteer, just send a letter or note to our ASEA office (ASEA/ 3510 Spenard Rd Suite 201/ Anch. 99503) stating that you would like to be a steward. In the note or letter, state what department you work for, your work site location, your work and home telephone numbers. Put this letter to the attention of myself, Judy Morris/ Chief Steward.
Too often it is easy to complain that your shop steward, business agent, and union are doing a poor job for you. Rather than complain, I ask that you do something about it…VOLUNTEER your time to help improve things within our state union, the ASEA. You do not need to volunteer as a shop steward, but you can volunteer for other committees and programs that are available within our state union.
Remember we are the biggest union in the State of Alaska, with each and everyone of you being a member of that union…………Judy Morris/Anchorage Chapter Chief Steward.
Further notes from your editor…..You can also help this editor out by volunteering to distribute these monthly newsletters to your work site location. At this time, we rely on the shop stewards and a mailer to some 80 volunteers to distribute this newsletter. I can use more volunteer help and can arrange to have newsletters mailed to you for distribution. Drop a note to the Union office with your name, your desired mailing address, and how many newsletters you would like sent to you every month.
From Board Member Gordon Glaser: The United Way’s SHARE campaign has been extended to January 30th. In last month’s newsletter, it was announced that your Anchorage Chapter is offering a chance to win prizes to all Anchorage chapter members who contribute to the SHARE campaign. The drawing for the winners will be held at the Anchorage Chapter GGU meeting on February 11th. Among the prizes will be two Alaska Railroad tickets, a gift certificate to Josephine’s, prize collectable coins, and movie passes. Be sure to get a copy of your pink SHARE contribution sheet to your shop steward …or mail it to the ASEA office (Attn: Anchorage Chapter). There is still time to contribute to the SHARE Campaign.
Also from GordonGlaser: The ASEA 10th Year Biennial Convention
starts on February 26th and continues until March 1st at the Anchorage
Holiday Inn. There are still slots open for delegates and alternates:
|
SEVEN REASONS TO ATTEND
SECRET, NEAT STUFF
We want to remind you to check out our Chapter’s WEB site: http://www.alaska.net/~aseaanch You can find out all sorts of stuff…such as who are your chapter officers, and all sorts of links to the AFL-CIO unions in Alaska and nationally. You can even check out Pat Smut(z) gossip on the goings on in Juneau….again from Gordon.
Finally, Frank Amademo (recent retiree) writes this article about the upcoming Anchorage Chapter Ball planned for next month:
ANCHORAGE CHAPTER BALL
The Anchorage Chapter of ASEA will celebrate ASEA’s 10th Anniversary by hosting a dinner dance at the Anchorage Hilton on February 28th at 7 PM. Music will be provided by the Phil Sheridan Band, which has played at several Chapter functions in the past. Tickets are $10 each for Anchorage members. Members are allowed to have one guest at an additional $10 cost. The menu will consist of carved meats, buffet style hors d’oeuvres and varied food theme selections. There will also be a no-host bar provided. The Anchorage Chapter would like as many members as possible to attend, but space is limited. Only 210 tickets will be sold and those members that pay first will be ensured of a ticket. After that number, no more tickets will be sold. If you are interested in attending, send your check to the ASEA office or through your shop steward. Be sure to get a receipt. Make your check payable to the ASEA Anchorage Chapter…….Frank.
GET THE GOVERNMENT OFF MY BACK!
A veteran returning from Korea went to college on the GI Bill; bought his home with an FHA loan; saw his kids born in a VA hospital; got electricity from the TVA, and later water from an EPA project. His parents retired to a farm on Social Security, got electricity from the REA, and soil testing from the USDA. When his father was laid off and his mother became ill, the family was saved from financial ruin by Medicare and another life in his family was saved with a drug developed by the NIH. His children participated in the school lunch program and went through college with guaranteed student loans. He drove to work on the Interstate and moored his boat in a channel dredged by the Army Corps of Engineers. When floods hit, he took Amtrak to Washington DC, to apply for disaster relief. He spent some time at the National Archives and the Air & Space Museum of the Smithsonian while he was there. When he returned home he wrote a letter to his congressperson demanding that the government get off his back and stop raising his taxes to pay for all those government programs.
