The Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) is more dedicated than ever to improving membership satisfaction and increasing solidarity within its ranks.

  In order to help accomplish these goals, the Union has hired organizer Mike Thomas, who works out of the Edmonton office and is active province-wide.  Mike’s primary focus is to help Locals organize their members internally and grow the Union by signing up new members from our Rand colleagues.

Mike recently went to visit Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie where events in both Locals drew nearly 50 per cent of the membership for social evenings and informal meetings.  Discussions were held among members, Local executives and business agents which focused on individual ideas.  These were then organized into concrete action plans for the Locals to pursue with the full support from the Union.

An evening of food, socializing, discussion and healthy debate, as well as encouragement, was just what these Locals needed.  The Locals in Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie have succeeded in eliminating nearly 100 per cent of their Rand employees by signing them up as full members and are moving forward with an active calendar of community action, social activities, and modernizing their meeting structure to better fulfill the needs of Local members.

Local 209 Grande Prairie President, Kelvin Stamp, is actively engaging younger members of his Local and bringing new union blood into his meetings as well as revitalizing his existing group.  In Fort McMurray (Local 210), Jose Acevedo and Ray Hakkim are working hard to rebuild a local decimated by outsourcing and retirement packages, and are seeing real success with more activities planned for the future.  Local 211 in Vermillion has seen similar success through a strategy of engagement and encouragement within its membership.  Bob Pannenbecker has retired as President and is much appreciated for his efforts.  He has passed the torch to a new executive, eager to continue building their Local under Jim Kuzyk.

Everyone is contributing and has made an effort to come together and strengthen their Local for their own benefit, and that of the Union as a whole.

We congratulate and send our support to these Locals as we move forward with the campaign to other regions in the province.  Every Local, large and small, needs to be fully involved in the process if we are to be successful in the future.  It can be done!

For more information, to discuss ideas or to bring additional resources to your Local that would help with revitalizing and outreach efforts, please contact your business agent or Mike Thomas directly at mike.thomas@twu-stt.ca.