Winter 2016 Newsletter
Letter From The Business Manager/ Secretary Treasurer:
First to all our DC14 members, employees and their families let me say Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Kwanza, Happy Hanukkah or Happy whatever you believe to be appropriate. I guess Happy Holidays covers it all.
Over the next few months as we settle in for the holidays let’s keep in mind what the union is all about. FAMILY and doing the best we can for our families.
This has been a good year with working hours going up, employment going up, and wages going up. Hopefully everyone has benefited better this year than last and will continue to benefit more over the next few years. But there are no guarantees.
We as union members have many Hurdles ahead of us over the next few years. Anti-union legislation and legislators are everywhere. I am confident we will be able to fight back sufficiently if our members step up like they did this last election cycle. For those of you who didn’t get involved and chose to let others do the work for you that’s a mistake we can’t afford. So I ask you to get involved, before it’s to late.
An immediate hurdle on the near horizon is the upcoming contract negotiations. I feel confident that we can come to an agreement with the contractors, we have many agreeable points in changing an out dated contract, but we can’t take anything for granted. As the saying goes “UNITED WE BARGAIN—DIVIDED WE BEG”. We are not going to beg!
To end this let me say if I don’t get to see you at one of the many local Christmas parties, enjoy the holidays and may your families enjoy a safe and prosperous New Year.
John Spiros Jr.
Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer
Painters District Council #14