Unfortunately we have found it necessary to raise our dues by $1 per pay period.  This change was voted for at a general membership meeting held during the first week of March 2012 and will take effect within the next several pay periods.  This was only the second dues increase in our local’s history - the last one was in 2002.

For the first time in our 14 plus year existence, our union has a new president. Local 97 was created in 1997 and our charter members voted Gordon Taxer in as our President. Since then, he has easily been re-elected at each opportunity. Now he has retired and our Vice President became President as stated in our ByLaws. I am the new President and hope to provide more regular updates regarding union activities thru this blog. It turns out that I am the only remaining original board member from that first election in 1997. My, how time flies!  We had a great send-off for Gordon in mid-January and hope to continue with other successful get-togethers in the future.

I don’t wear a tie because it is a symbol of management. I don’t think like management, I don’t act like management, and I damn sure don’t want to look like them. — Leo Persails, APWU