Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1189512
THEARTISAN WINTER 2020 • 7 Brothers and Sisters: My preferred pronouns are 'he/him/his'—but I will respond to any pronoun said in respect. Inclusion. Diversity. Respect in the workplace. Words that we are hearing a lot. Our employers and our union are using these words more often these days. But what exactly do they mean? Inclusion means a sense of belonging; feeling connected and part of our "work family environment." Inclusive work environments allow people to feel welcomed and valued—and encouraged to invest our whole creative unique selves to the project. We can all learn to be more inclusive at work. Inclusion means that everyone gets their instructions, supplies and start paperwork on their first day. Everyone should be included in the morning meeting to know what we will be doing, how long we have to get it done, and who are the designated leaders to go to when we have the inevitable questions or concerns. These simple steps allow everyone to be treated equally, and establishes each individual as a vital part of the team right from the start. Inclusion also means that we celebrate our Diversity at work. Building a diverse team— of skills, ages, experience, ethnicities and gen- ders—allows us to maximize our strengths/ minimize our weaknesses, giving us greater opportunities to solve problems and create new solutions. We already face a diversity of challenges, skin tones, demands, hair textures, temperaments and egos in our profession each day. Having a diverse team allows every individual to operate at their peak skill, and lets everyone on the team be valued for their matchless knowledge and distinctive expertise. Diversity on this planet may be our greatest asset. Diversity in our departments (or our stock portfolios…) builds safety, stability, longevity and strength! Respect in the workplace means that we appreciate what everyone has to offer professionally. Our personal political or religious views, nationality, background, who we love, where we were born, or what we look like under our clothing is not open for discus- sion, as it has nothing to do with accomplishing the job that we are hired to do. Personal comments, "compliments," and questions are almost always unwelcome, have no place at work, and do not celebrate Inclusion, Diversity or Respect—quite the opposite. Today's employers have correctly taken a "zero tolerance policy" regard- ing harassment, bullying and bigotry in the workplace, and personal topics are labeled 'Off Limits' at work for good reason: LOCAL PERSPECTIVE Are you pregnant?! Did you vote for that idiot? Seriously—are you pregnant?!? What happened to your wedding ring? How far along are you in your transition? What's with the hijab? What's that all about? You're so 'exotic'… where are your parents from? Did you get breast implants? Wow! They really look great… Do you prefer to be referred to as 'black' or 'African American'? While all may seem on the surface to be well-meaning, the under- lying theme to all of these probing questions is "Let's talk about subjects that are none of our business here at work." [BTW: All of these can be answered with a simple " This really has nothing to do with the work we have to get done today…" and the last can be answered with "You can refer to me as 'Joyce.'"] The more important takeaway from all of this is: we need to start the conversation. Now. There are ways to foster and nurture inclusion and diversity and respect in the workplace, and old stereotypes, demeaning talk or offensive actions are not going to be tolerated anymore—not by employers, and not by this union. We can all start to make simple, meaningful and demonstrative changes in the way we crew our departments, treat our co-workers, and relate to others. Just consider: Start the day by introducing yourself, and explain what your preferred pronouns are: she/her, he/him, they/them, etc. This opens the dialogue for everyone on the team to safely voice their preferred pronoun(s)—which may not be so apparent. More people today feel comfortable with a nontraditional gender-diverse non-binary pronoun—but are afraid to be the first to speak up. Open the door. Start the conversation. This takes nothing away from anyone's anything, but allows everyone to feel included and respected. Try it. I just did. Inclusion. Diversity. Respect. It all starts with you. You are the union. Please enjoy your issue of The Artisan. Sincerely and fraternally, Randy Sayer BY RANDY SAYER Business Representative, I.A.T.S.E. Local 706 Inclusion. Diversity. Respect in the workplace. "