Opportunities arise when we work together

This installment of “last word” comes with a lot of hope and joy in my heart—mainly because I see people working together to try and make a difference. Reflecting on our summer Union Leadership Academy where we gathered Federation leaders from across the province, where we united under the banner of the power of community to better the lives of all, and where we heard Chicago Teachers’ Union president, Stacy Davis Gates speak about bargaining for the common good, I can’t help but be excited for our next steps as a union.

In approving the OSSTF/FEESO Strategic Action Plan, our members voted overwhelmingly to support the creation of an expanded vision within our Federation that embraces the power of organizing and working with our community allies to build power and to fight for the common good. This work has already started in our union and in other unions around the globe—and it will make a difference for more than just the workers. As Stacy Davis Gates reminds us, we need to pull on the “opportunity available to us—if we figure out who our allies are, and more importantly, who our opponents are—the opponents of the common good, the public good, the public sector” we can overcome the forces that want to maximize profits over maximizing people.

This opportunity for unity sees education workers and teachers uniting with members of their community, recognizing and celebrating our differences and our common goals for a better future. As we look ahead to elections, both provincially and federally, it will be this united community that elects education-friendly and community-friendly candidates. We only need to look back over the last decade to see the gross deterioration of public services and how their loss has so negatively impacted our families and communities. This is not the first time in history when the people have had to unite through their differences to fight a common challenge to a just society. And from those histories we learn that together we must and can realize a world where the people in our communities get what they need to live, and to live well. It is a history that challenged the idea of privatization of public services and a history that said investing in education, health care, housing, and workers brings the greatest wealth and well-being to our lives.

Schools are pillars of these robust communities—where we see investments in public education, we also see investments in other services that matter to those living in our communities. It remains the responsibility of those of us in unions to continue to advocate for what all workers and all communities need—where unions win, communities win. With this reminder, I give everyone a task for this fall: get out in your community, find a local event to attend, celebrate with your neighbours. Find the common needs and frustrations between you and your neighbours and ask how you can work together to make a difference and build stronger communities.