I work at the Recorder of Deeds Office, and I’ve been a Chief Steward for the past fifteen years. We fight to protect our rights on the job. If you think you don’t need a union, just wait till you get your layoff papers like the 26 workers at the Board of Review did after Commissioner Shaw left. If you think your boss will take care of you, wait until the proposed resolutions are passed and your raises disappear and your health care costs skyrocket — no exceptions. Belonging to the union means we can protect our jobs, our wages, and our benefits.

Anybody considering whether or not to join the Union should ask themselves a
simple question: what do you have to lose? Your real choice is between having things stay the same - your bosses doing whatever they like, whenever they like - or coming together with your coworkers to negotiate for improvements that get written into a legally binding contract. I was there when Local 73 first organized the Secretary of State’s office, and the difference between non-Union and Union is incredible. Now, we don’t have to be afraid of what’s around the corner, because we have the power to spell out our future in our contract.

I think everyone should form a union because it helps secure your job. Another great incentive is the pay. We know what our raises are year after year. And if you look at charter schools you can see that non-union employees’ rates of pay are not the same as union members.