This Labor Day weekend is more important to me than usual. While I will certainly be enjoying a hot dog or two with my wife and three young kids, I am also Facebooking, e-mailing and calling to make sure that my co-workers hold firm in support of our union - the Michigan Education Association.
I am a new local association president in a largely-Republican area of south-central Michigan. The summer has been busy. We finished negotiations on a three-year contract with good health care and small pay raises during the month of June. In July, I attended the NEA annual meeting. This month, I have been visiting members' homes, churches and activities to spread the word about the importance of our union.
I have to say that the results so far have been good.