Local 774 member Bill Kerr, left, received the Frank Cantafio Memorial Award for his fundraising for children’s Hospital. Left to right with Kerr are Locall 774 President Jerry McCormick, Liz Cantafio, and Regional Dirctor Geri Ochocinska.

From the director
We care for our communities

Welcome to our latest issue of The Nine Line. I am happy to report that the response to our initial issue in April has been overwhelming. We are happy to continue to highlight the accomplishments and activities of our brothers and sisters throughout Region 9.

As we all know, many times unions as a whole are portrayed harshly in the media. I’d like to take this time to highlight some of the community activities of our brothers and sisters in the region. These wonderful accomplishments serve to illustrate the commitment and dedication that organized labor has made to creating a better life for all working people and shows our care and concern for the communities in which we live and work.

Congratulations to the brothers and sisters of UAW Local 686 on their second annual veteran’s appreciation 5K run. More than 150 runners participated in this year’s race. Proceeds of $2,300 were donated to the Wyndham Lawn Home for Children.

Locals in western and central New York really came through this year in collecting nearly $90,000 for the Children’s Hospital Variety Club telethon. As long as anyone can remember, Children’s Hospital has been a cause championed by the UAW. Many of our members, including myself, know first hand the wonderful work the hospital does. We have always collected monies through gate collections, raffles, and many other fundraising events. Subsequently, the UAW has regularly collected more money than any other labor organization for this cause. This long history of support began over 30 years ago by the late Frank Cantafio. Frank was a former shop chairman at Local 774 in western New York. He was instrumental in coordinating labor’s efforts to contribute to this most worthwhile cause—helping children with special needs. Each year, the Frank Cantafio Memorial Award is given to the UAW member whose efforts on behalf of the telethon are shown to be exemplary. Congratulations to Brother Bill Kerr of Local 774 on winning this year’s award. Our goal in 2001 is to raise our UAW contribution to $100,000. I know if we all continue to work together, we will achieve this goal.

One of the highlights of our retirees and joint conference this May was our presentation of an $8,000 check to Charles Kernaghan, the executive director of the National Labor Committee. Charlie has been a great friend of Region 9. We have always supported his efforts on behalf of working people all over the world. You may remember Charlie as the man who exposed Kathie Lee Gifford and her clothing line for exploiting children in Central America who sew her brand clothing.

Charlie contacted us last year with the hope that we may be able to assist him in funding the "People’s Right To Know Campaign." The goal of the campaign is to give the public the right to know where, in which factory, under what human rights’ conditions, and at what wages the products we purchase are made. Contributions to the effort will assist in stopping multinational corporations from pitting the American working people against the desperately poor in the developing world. These people, many of them children, are forced to accept the lowest wages, meager or no benefits, and the most miserable living and working conditions. Practices such as these are running rampant in manufacturing and are directly linked to the erosion of real wages, loss of jobs in the U.S. (260,000 jobs lost in the last year), and the resurgence of sweatshops in the U.S.

Our members embraced this issue and grasped its importance. They made significant contributions enabling us to raise the $8,000. Our collective contribution will help to fund solidarity organizers, researchers, and service providers. Women workers fired from Maquiladora plants are hired to organize independent unions and defend basic human rights. Congratulations to all who assisted in raising this money and recognizing the importance of Mr. Kernaghan’s work.

To those whom much is given, much is expected. Let us all remember to hold our heads high as proud UAW members and to continue to be a strong voice and a continuing support in our workplace, to our families, and in the communities in which we live and work.

In solidarity,
Geri

Next: News from the Locals