How Shall We Conduct Our Election?
At the bi-monthly meeting of the retirees on October 3, 2005, several individuals and current Officers announced their candidacy for election, and spoke of their qualifications for office. Also, one of the retirees made a motion that the retirees, as a entirety, endorse one of the Officers, for whatever postion she chose to run.
Something about what occurred at the Retirees' meeting did not sit well with me, and I expressed various objections. Is it proper that the retirees endorse one candidate over another? If so, is it proper that they (WE, for I am also a retiree!) should do so before all candidates have had an opportunity to present themselves? And is it proper to discuss such matters before the actual nominations for officers ever occurs?
Branch Meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 PM at the ILWU Hall , located at 400 North Point (and Mason), in San Francisco 94133. (This information is taken from: http://nalc214.org/structur.html , though I believe the meeting actually starts at 7 PM.) And this upcoming meeting will start with the nominations for Officers of the upcoming Election 2005 for Branch 214.
One of my concerns is this - Isn't there an inherent advantage that an incumbent officer has in presenting themselves to the retirees? If so, is this advantage (inequity?) something we should want to minimize? Or, should we allow/encourage those who have already been elected, or are in the good graces of the already elected, or are prepared in advance of nominations to run an election campaign, to get all the endorsements they can, in whatever manner they wish?
I'm not even convinced there is something WRONG with what happened yesterday at the retirees meeting. However, something didn't feel right - with what happened, with HOW it happened, and with who was or wasn't there. For me, it's not really about who the individual candidates were, or are, or will be. My concern is this - are we conducting ourselves, especially during this campaign, in the best way possible for Branch 214?
The fact that I created this blog for the membership of Branch 214 on Monday morning, BEFORE the meeting of the Retirees, indicates that I was already aware of, and concerned about, issues of fairness and appropriateness and equity of opportunity in the upcoming Election 2005 of Branch 214.
I initially titled this posting, "What is the Role of the Retirees?" But I quickly realized it's really not about, or at least not exclusively about, the retirees. Nor is it about the Officers or individuals who attended the Retirees' meeting, nor is it about who spoke at that meeting. This posting is about the PROCESS of the campaign itself (and perhaps a little about the practice of campaigning)!
What I would like to see is a campaign process that everyone can feel proud of; that builds people up, rather than tears them down; that encourages the best and the brightest amongst us to offer themselves for candidacy; and that strives to equalize the opportunies for all who chose to, or are chosen, to run for office of Branch 214.
I want us to learn from the mistakes that were made in previous years, and to improve upon our methods of operation - as individual members, as candidates, as Officers, as a Branch, and as a Union.
It is for this reason that I've created and offer to host this blog: I wish to encourage Branch members (which includes candidates and current Officers) to express themselves - to write, or talk, or share photos - about themselves, or the candidates, or the issues, and most of all about the process itself.
Last election, I offered web space for those individuals who did not have or could not afford the mass mailing expense that ideally all candidates should be able to offer to those of us in the Branch who may not know enough about them. My idea was this: If the information is on the Web about a candidate, then any individual who has access to the Web, and is knowledgeable about printing from the Web, can essentially print their own flyers for the candidate(s) of their choice. Ideally, this would have meant that all the candidates had an equal amount of Web space, and the "reader"/Branch member could assemble the profiles of the individual candidates, and then print flyers and campaign for those they chose to support.
My idea, I soon realized, was premature. I didn't have the skills to fully execute or implement it. I did not have the time, money, or even the inclination to popularize it. And, well, I just didn't get the support or enthusiasm I thought ought to have existed for such an idea.
This year, I didn't realize I was going to do anything until I started doing it. I created a personal blog for myself on Sunday, and somehow on Monday I created this blog for the Branch. So - we'll see where it goes! If the idea grabs you, if it annoys you, if it sounds like fun, or looks like it may have value - use this blog the way you see fit. Explore it. Write to it - send comments, or emails, photos, or audio blogs. Send links to other websites or blogs. Talk about it with your neighbors. Publicize it. When you hear someone complain - tell them to "put it on the Web". When you think of what needs to happen next time, outline your idea, or Just DO IT!
Democracy isn't something we preach - it's how we practice together every day. And Unionism isn't only about Officers and agendas - it's mostly about communication and participation. SO - thus ends my post. Will the next one we see here be yours? Make it so....
Something about what occurred at the Retirees' meeting did not sit well with me, and I expressed various objections. Is it proper that the retirees endorse one candidate over another? If so, is it proper that they (WE, for I am also a retiree!) should do so before all candidates have had an opportunity to present themselves? And is it proper to discuss such matters before the actual nominations for officers ever occurs?
Branch Meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 PM at the ILWU Hall , located at 400 North Point (and Mason), in San Francisco 94133. (This information is taken from: http://nalc214.org/structur.html , though I believe the meeting actually starts at 7 PM.) And this upcoming meeting will start with the nominations for Officers of the upcoming Election 2005 for Branch 214.
One of my concerns is this - Isn't there an inherent advantage that an incumbent officer has in presenting themselves to the retirees? If so, is this advantage (inequity?) something we should want to minimize? Or, should we allow/encourage those who have already been elected, or are in the good graces of the already elected, or are prepared in advance of nominations to run an election campaign, to get all the endorsements they can, in whatever manner they wish?
I'm not even convinced there is something WRONG with what happened yesterday at the retirees meeting. However, something didn't feel right - with what happened, with HOW it happened, and with who was or wasn't there. For me, it's not really about who the individual candidates were, or are, or will be. My concern is this - are we conducting ourselves, especially during this campaign, in the best way possible for Branch 214?
The fact that I created this blog for the membership of Branch 214 on Monday morning, BEFORE the meeting of the Retirees, indicates that I was already aware of, and concerned about, issues of fairness and appropriateness and equity of opportunity in the upcoming Election 2005 of Branch 214.
I initially titled this posting, "What is the Role of the Retirees?" But I quickly realized it's really not about, or at least not exclusively about, the retirees. Nor is it about the Officers or individuals who attended the Retirees' meeting, nor is it about who spoke at that meeting. This posting is about the PROCESS of the campaign itself (and perhaps a little about the practice of campaigning)!
What I would like to see is a campaign process that everyone can feel proud of; that builds people up, rather than tears them down; that encourages the best and the brightest amongst us to offer themselves for candidacy; and that strives to equalize the opportunies for all who chose to, or are chosen, to run for office of Branch 214.
I want us to learn from the mistakes that were made in previous years, and to improve upon our methods of operation - as individual members, as candidates, as Officers, as a Branch, and as a Union.
It is for this reason that I've created and offer to host this blog: I wish to encourage Branch members (which includes candidates and current Officers) to express themselves - to write, or talk, or share photos - about themselves, or the candidates, or the issues, and most of all about the process itself.
Last election, I offered web space for those individuals who did not have or could not afford the mass mailing expense that ideally all candidates should be able to offer to those of us in the Branch who may not know enough about them. My idea was this: If the information is on the Web about a candidate, then any individual who has access to the Web, and is knowledgeable about printing from the Web, can essentially print their own flyers for the candidate(s) of their choice. Ideally, this would have meant that all the candidates had an equal amount of Web space, and the "reader"/Branch member could assemble the profiles of the individual candidates, and then print flyers and campaign for those they chose to support.
My idea, I soon realized, was premature. I didn't have the skills to fully execute or implement it. I did not have the time, money, or even the inclination to popularize it. And, well, I just didn't get the support or enthusiasm I thought ought to have existed for such an idea.
This year, I didn't realize I was going to do anything until I started doing it. I created a personal blog for myself on Sunday, and somehow on Monday I created this blog for the Branch. So - we'll see where it goes! If the idea grabs you, if it annoys you, if it sounds like fun, or looks like it may have value - use this blog the way you see fit. Explore it. Write to it - send comments, or emails, photos, or audio blogs. Send links to other websites or blogs. Talk about it with your neighbors. Publicize it. When you hear someone complain - tell them to "put it on the Web". When you think of what needs to happen next time, outline your idea, or Just DO IT!
Democracy isn't something we preach - it's how we practice together every day. And Unionism isn't only about Officers and agendas - it's mostly about communication and participation. SO - thus ends my post. Will the next one we see here be yours? Make it so....
posted by MailLadyMartha @ 10:54 AM
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