As we enter into the summer season things aren’t slowing down at all. Our industry is booming with change and at Local 369 we do not want to be a “VICTIM” we want to be a “VICTOR”. In recent months we have been very successful in contract negotiations due to the hard work of our members.

Bargaining committees, made up of mostly rank and file members, have proven that our strategic plan is on target and we can grow without sacrificing service to our members. You can ask the members at BG New England (Mystic 7), BG Boston (Mystic 8, 9 & Foreriver), Exelon (Lst & Jets), National Grid, and Hingham Municipal Light & Power. All of these contracts have been negotiated in the last eight (8) months and all of them are a drastic improvement over the existing contract.

We don’t need to look far to see why we have been so successful in all these contracts in such a short span of time. The strategic plan laid out for us how we could continue to grow and succeed and how one would feed on the other.

— How did we negotiate five (5) contracts in only eight (8) months when we used to negotiate one (1) contract every three (3) or four (4) years?
Because our strategic plan, developed by the members, had rank and file members involved in negotiations. That is how so many negotiations were done so successfully in such a short time. “MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT”!

— Where did leverage come from to help us get good contracts?
Because our strategic plan, developed by the members, told us we needed to get bigger as an organization in order to get stronger. All these entities that now make up local 369 give power and strength we never had which inturn gives us leverage we never had.

— How does being bigger make us stronger and more powerful?
Because our strategic plan, developed by the members, told us we needed to get politically active in order to build our strength and the one thing politicians understands is numbers. Because of our growth we have the numbers and we have used this to both help politicians and to send a message to politicians.

I could go on all day with more examples that are right in our strategic plan such as our public relations work educating the consumer on the issues. Or how we are building coalitions in our communities by reaching out through our members to the many needy organizations over the past few years. There are really too many examples to mention.

It is the strategic plan of growth and membership involvement (and members stepping up and responding to this new calling) that is making us successful and has put us in a very good position in the event there are any more utility mergers.

I will say this, “if we continue with Strategic Plan formula we will only become stronger, more powerful and more successful. In closing, please have an excellent Summer!