June 2024

It seems like no matter how much we try, the month of June is always a busy one.  On the home front, many are consumed by outdoor chores, wrapping up school sports, and answering the endless barrage of open house invites.  Here at the Local, June is shaping up to be a busy one as well.  Our Human & Civil Rights and Community Service Committees are preparing for a month full of events.  Working to encourage members to volunteer and attend Lansing Fiesta, the Lansing Juneteenth Parade, and Lansing Pride to name a few.  Even our Recreation and Conservation Committee is hard at work preparing for our Local 652 Picnic planned for August 3rd.  In addition, local CAP members are working hard to screen candidates for this year's busy political season.
It has been said many times here in the Lansing Labor News, but politics cannot be ignored.  Not only does the political process affect our daily lives, but it can also have a great deal of influence on how the labor movement can or cannot support its members.  The UAW CAP committees are charged with ensuring only those candidates who have committed to or have a track record of supporting the interests of working-class labor get our endorsements.  Indeed, not every member will care for the candidates who are endorsed, particularly in this hyper-partisan society.  Though it cannot be said enough, these candidates are screened with the interests of working-class labor in mind, not the sensational talking points of the week.  
While we are on the topic of this political season, I would like to wrap up by sharing a few thoughts on elections.  For a multitude of reasons, the election process has become a hot-button item.  Concerns range from legitimate to delusions, all of which leave us with the task of trying to decipher what is rational.  As I have been watching this play out nationally, my fingers have been crossed that our union elections would remain resilient to the worst of these ideologies.  Recent UAW elections at the local level have made it clear that we, the members, need to stand firm against election propaganda.
Let's not beat around the bush, minus actual evidence to the contrary, elections will produce a winner and a loser.  The candidate who succeeds did so by receiving more votes than their opponent.  While not everyone will like the result, it is the members who decide the outcome.  Social media can skew perceptions by allowing a vocal minority to make it appear that “nobody” wanted that person to win, and it must have been something more nefarious that led to the result.  The election committee, made up of fellow members, takes an oath of office to ensure this process is fair and secure.  Instead of thoughts, theories, and emotions, they utilize common sense, laws, and guidelines.  Whether it be lost-time wages, man-hours of preparation, or fees related to professional election consultants, the local expends a great deal of resources to provide an election process the members can trust.  I am confident in our locals’ elections and hope to continue and work hard with the election committee to maintain our members' confidence as well.  
Enjoy your summer and make sure that you and everyone you know are voting this November!
In Solidarity,
Matt