|
A group of five Local 79 Women’s Committee members recently took part in a program with The Spring of Tampa Bay, a domestic violence shelter. The women’s committee provided outreach to the residents of the facility to educate them about the Teamsters, including what union jobs can provide and which companies in the Tampa Bay area have a Teamster work force.
“This is a group of mostly women who could benefit greatly from a stable job with affordable health care. Being in the South, not many people are aware of union jobs, so we were educating a group of deserving individuals that may get the most out of our presentation,” Simon said. “The response was phenomenal.”
Giving Back
Simon and her co-presenters provided valuable information on Teamster and labor history to an audience with little prior knowledge of unions.
“You could see the light bulb come on when we explained about working under a contract and having a grievance procedure,” Simon said.
Although the women’s committee does not have the power to obtain positions for others, they shared their knowledge, as well as important guidelines for how to secure a stable employment future.
“I think it’s important to get the word out on what other women’s committees are doing to give back to the community in which we work and live,” Simon said. “There’s so much more I’d like to do because I am so thankful that I have a Teamster job. I see this as my way of giving back.”
Please email us stories of how you and your local are giving back and it may make it onto the blog.