Spring has sprung at Local 249

By Chrissy Kline

Over the course of the last two years, many have wondered “When will things go back to normal?” and others have questioned what normal even is now. UAW Local 249 has continually strived to put the safety and well-being of the membership above all, while still maintaining the feelings of brotherhood and solidarity that have made us who we are. Now as the restrictions surrounding gathering and events due to COVID-19 protocols have begun to loosen it feels like the end of a long winter and the first buds of spring are visible. Events are being planned, meetings are being held in person and we can let out the collective breath we have been holding.

These changes are evident looking forward as we see the calendars filling up with activities, pictures of smiling faces are all over social media and the buzz of excitement is in the air again. The most prevalent and visible example of this was the recent Snake Saturday Parade with more than fifty union members and their families representing Local 249 in the parade and watching from the sidelines.

The next big event coming up is the annual egg hunt being held by the UAW Local 249 Women’s Committee, the Easter Eggstravaganza, on April 3 from 2-4 pm. Traditionally the hunt takes place at the start of the event and is over within seconds, but this year there will be games, prizes, and food before the main event.

There is a community blood drive scheduled for April 28 to help reduce the shortage of life-saving blood as well as a gate action on the same day for Worker’s Memorial Day. The Conservation & Recreation Committee has been hard at work planning events like the UAW 249 float trip, the BBQ cookoff, and the Pleasant Valley Spring Cleanup on April 30. With the mask mandates being lifted and spirits rising with them, plans are even beginning to be made to hold the UAW Local 249 annual picnic held around the Labor Day holiday.

Seeing all the fun events on the horizon, it is hard to imagine there would be much time for anything else, but the members and standing committees are hard at work educating the membership, organizing within the plant and in the community, and preparing for elections by seeking out motivated, labor-friendly candidates with the same vision for the future as the United Auto Workers.

Members of the Community Action Program Committee will be coming through the facility to seek support for the VCAP program that promotes labor-friendly policymakers, organizations, and communities. Already plans are being set into motion for voter registration and GOTV drives, lit-dropping, door-knocking, and phone banking.

With the first stirrings of spring beginning, it brings with it the hope for positive changes and joyful gatherings. We look forward to seeing you, your families, and your smiling faces at our upcoming events.