Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1541667
A Letter from the President "This magazine is a warning shot across the bow to a world that may not realize that our members are powerful and our work is here to stay." S E A N A S T I N Dear Member, I have been your president since Sept. 12. In that short time, a whole heck of a lot has happened. Of course, I want to share everything with you. I want you to know about what I'm doing and, more importantly, about all of the stuff your union is doing. But, rather than start our relationship by rattling things off, I need you to know what putting this letter in your magazine means to me. It is historic. That may sound hyperbolic, but it's technically true. The fact is that whatever we present to you in the pages of this magazine today becomes part of the historical record of this storied organization. I want what I write to matter. I want for all of us to look back on this time and say, "Man, look at who we were. Look at what we cared about. Look at how, when the world was changing radically all around us and the foundations of our business were shifting beneath our feet, we showed up. We looked the dangers in the eye and said no. We fought back. And we lived. With joy. With purpose. With imagination and with hard work." I see this magazine as more than glossy and chock-full of information and celebratory of who we are and what we do, though it is all of that. This magazine is a warning shot across the bow to a world that may not realize that our members are powerful and our work is here to stay. There is not a moment to lose and your time is precious. When I write to you here, or anywhere else, I want it to mean something to you. With the space I have left on this page I want to tell you that I need something from you. Please participate in our contract prep meetings (wages and working conditions meetings — W&W's). They are happening right now and the union needs to hear from all of you. With much love and respect, Sean Astin