With every holiday party we attend, every last-minute package we receive, every holiday moment made a little more special with our friends and family — chances are, we have union workers to thank for helping make it happen.
In Chicago, Unite Here Local 1 bartenders go home in the early morning hours when our fun has long ended. SEIU janitors spend late-night hours cleaning up the office after we have celebrated heartily.
SEIU doormen staff our residential and office buildings, and Operating Engineers 399 members maintain them to keep everyone safe. There are no days off or holidays for them. And safety is always a concern, as evidenced by a troubling uptick in assaults and robberies.
When we need to grab that last-minute food tray or drinks for our latest gathering, dedicated people like Kim Stewart of the United Food and Commercial Workers are working at Jewel-Osco in Melrose Park.
For the Thanksgiving rush, Kim began her days at 5 a.m. to commute to the store nearly an hour away. The computer system crashed, but she and her team didn’t panic as calls and customers rushed in. She spent her day fulfilling orders, answering customer questions and trying to put a smile on someone’s face.
“We live in an age where people are glued to their screens and smart devices,” she says. “Human interaction is becoming an anomaly, and I enjoy helping people remember the joy of interacting with one another and building relationships.”
She considers herself lucky to be able to spend the holidays with her family and thanks her union for stepping up when she was terminated for taking an extended maternity leave. She was later reinstated.
Just about everywhere we turn this time of year, we can see the positive impact of union workers like Kim Stewart.
Live entertainment workers and performers are putting on our holiday favorites like “The Nutcracker.” Firefighters, paramedics, EMTs and other paramedics are on the streets keeping our homes and families safe. The union protects them so they can protect us.
Aviation workers such as flight attendants and mechanics keep our flights running safely and get us where we need to be. Transit workers keep trains and buses running at all hours. Grocery, retail, hotel and restaurant workers keep the shelves stocked and our plates full, and make sure our heads have comfortable beds, even when stress is high and they are busier than usual.
Delivery drivers and postal workers deserve an extra special mention because of the determination they show to get our gifts to our loved ones, no matter how close we cut it to the special days.
Brighter, better holidays and special moments are possible because union representation makes it happen.
Collective bargaining agreements, state law and even the Illinois Constitution provide workers’ rights to earn a good living wage, receive overtime and holiday pay and paid leave, especially timely as we get ready for the new Paid Leave for All law to take effect Jan. 1. Unions help workers fight back against unfair working conditions and untimely closures, and to stand up for the right to better serve all of us.
As we enjoy each other’s fellowship and say thanks for all that we have, please take a minute to think about all our union siblings who are selflessly working extra hard during these holidays to make it more special for us. A quick thank you to these union workers goes a long way to show them we recognize the extra magic they help provide each holiday season.
Tim Drea is the president and Pat Devaney is the secretary-treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO.
