What is prosperity for a union?
If we ARE a business, are we serving our members well? Remember, every one of our customers is also a stockholder, one who pays for our services, and shares the price we ALL pay when/if we fail to prosper.
So - what is prosperity for a union? How do we measure growth? Economists talk of an increased standard of living as being reflected by an increase in the Gross Domestic Product per person (GDP/capita). I would argue that the "gross domestic product" of our Union is the total value of all the goods and services produced for and by our membership within a given time period. So, the GDP/member is equal to how many goods and/or services our members have received; and since we're talking during an election period, the time frame could appropriately be the last two years (though some amongst us use their letter carrier career as their time frame!).
The funny thing is, we are ALL, equally, responsible for producing a good "product or service" for our customers/members. And we are all, of course, the consumer of the very product we produce! So, I ask again, are we doing as good a job as we could? If not, what are we lacking? Where are our "pockets of poverty", our neglected turf, or our over-worked soils & souls? Who's being left out of our community, and what attitudes should be left behind? In fact, do we even know where we're heading? Do we have VISION as well as VOICE? And do we operate as an orchestra and sing like a chorus, or do we clang like a cacophony? Do we play like a jazz band, with each artist contributing, or do we play king of the hill, with dominance ruling?
That's the value of an election - we get to decide: have the Board of Directors served us well? But the election doesn't just happen on day X, with a ballot marked and mailed. The election happens all year long, as we judge our desires, and take stock of our dilemmas. So, as we elect Officers in Branch 214's Election 2005, let us also elect to serve ourselves and our membership better. The candidates will make promises, or offer prescriptions; but it is WE who run the Union. Are we as prosperous as we wish and/or are able to be? In not, what shall we do about it?
So - what is prosperity for a union? How do we measure growth? Economists talk of an increased standard of living as being reflected by an increase in the Gross Domestic Product per person (GDP/capita). I would argue that the "gross domestic product" of our Union is the total value of all the goods and services produced for and by our membership within a given time period. So, the GDP/member is equal to how many goods and/or services our members have received; and since we're talking during an election period, the time frame could appropriately be the last two years (though some amongst us use their letter carrier career as their time frame!).
The funny thing is, we are ALL, equally, responsible for producing a good "product or service" for our customers/members. And we are all, of course, the consumer of the very product we produce! So, I ask again, are we doing as good a job as we could? If not, what are we lacking? Where are our "pockets of poverty", our neglected turf, or our over-worked soils & souls? Who's being left out of our community, and what attitudes should be left behind? In fact, do we even know where we're heading? Do we have VISION as well as VOICE? And do we operate as an orchestra and sing like a chorus, or do we clang like a cacophony? Do we play like a jazz band, with each artist contributing, or do we play king of the hill, with dominance ruling?
That's the value of an election - we get to decide: have the Board of Directors served us well? But the election doesn't just happen on day X, with a ballot marked and mailed. The election happens all year long, as we judge our desires, and take stock of our dilemmas. So, as we elect Officers in Branch 214's Election 2005, let us also elect to serve ourselves and our membership better. The candidates will make promises, or offer prescriptions; but it is WE who run the Union. Are we as prosperous as we wish and/or are able to be? In not, what shall we do about it?
posted by MailLadyMartha @ 9:43 AM
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