OPINION
Why Union Summer is so important to organized labor
By SAMANTHA GRAD
Shortly after the Union Summer program ended, Raise Up Washington was preparing to hire additional organizers. Two interns from Union Summer applied, and I was thrilled to hire them both.
These two interns had two very different paths to the Union Summer program. One was a woman of color and a recent college graduate who had no experience with the labor movement before, but a friend’s mother told her about the program, so she decided to give it a try.
These two interns came from very different backgrounds, and they are backgrounds that are too often left out of the labor movement. Much like the experience of our first intern, recent college graduates do not see the labor movement as a path to create change within their community.
My undergraduate major in college was Community Development. My peers at school were energized and ready to graduate and get to work on the issues that drove them. They were excited to take jobs with local government agencies or nonprofits, but unfortunately not one of those peers saw the labor movement as a place to better their communities. And, as is the case of our second intern, many of those coming to the labor movement see it simply as a pathway to a solid job, and it is that, but it is also so much more.
The program has a clear track record of success. Not only does every intern leave with a better understanding and appreciation of the labor movement, many have even chosen to stay working in this field — including one of the interns I hired at Raise Up Washington who is now a union organizer!
For all of these reasons and more, my union, UFCW 21, is excited to participate in this year’s Union Summer program, and I can’t wait to welcome our new intern.