ODOT Visits Colorado DOT

Three members from ODOT, John Drago, TMS II from Ona Beach, Kathy Reiten, TMS II from Coos Bay, and Lee Erickson, Incident Responder from Portland went to Colorado to help the state employees (specifically CDOT) organize into the labor movement. John Drago wrote this of his trip:

I headed for Colorado a bit unsure of what we were setting out to accomplish, but upon arrival it became clear quite quickly that we were there to do the same things we do here at home for SEIU 503,....to inform people, to help them stand up for themselves and their rights, to unite them, and to show them that things can be different if they choose to get involved and speak out against the inequities and unfairness that take place so often in workplace environments. I should have realized that the work we have all done here at home, and the training we have been through would equip us perfectly to offer a solid promise to the workers of Colorado for a
better future, but the thing I could not have possibly guessed before I made the trip was that it would be an inspiration to me to return to Oregon with renewed vigor to fight the labor/management battles we face here at home. For that reason, the trip has served two states quite well I think.
If you've never been to Colorado, you have never seen the "real"
mountains in the United States. Oregon's Cascades are beautiful no doubt, but they don't quite compare to the Colorado Rockies! I wish that I had been able to see the western side from the ground, but that dosen't lessen the experience of visiting the eastern half of the state. The beauty of the state and the opportunities it provides for people to get out into nature are obviously a strong attraction and quite possibly one of the main reasons so many good people have chosen to live with the substandard pay and benefits packages that are offered to Colorado public employees. My main connections were made with members of the CDOT community, and it was very natural and comfortable to talk with them since I am able as an ODOT employee to "speak their language". I found that they face all the same issues an ODOT worker might face, with a few added concerns due to the nature of their harsher winters. Additionally, I had the opportunity to talk with folks from Corrections, CDOT management, and a few people from other areas of state service such as CSU employees. Each and every one of them struck me as hard working, dedicated people who care a great deal about the work they do, and the level of service they are able to provide the taxpayers of Colorado. There was a common thread or two between all of them in the form of being unhappy with their compensation and unfortunately, also, with a seeming acceptance that things have been bad for so long that they can't be changed. So, when I was able to show them concrete evidence, ie. "our contract" that things can truly be different than their current reality, it was very satisfying to see the change in their expressions. Many of them already knew the difference a labor union can make for workers, and those who didn't seemed to catch at least a faint flicker of the fire we
know as activism, and SEIU must not lose the opportunity to fan that flame into a full blown fire. I intend to do anything I can from this vantage point to help keep things burning in Colorado, because these people are a bit like frightened children,..they know there's something better out there, but they still need some encouragement and proven leadership to guide them along the road to success. And I can easily remind myself that it is largely due to the leadership of SEIU 503 that I am able to work in a union environment, and that I have become an activist myself. It always takes leaders/teachers to pass the union spirit along to others, and I think that all SEIU members owe a debt to Colorado public employees to reach out to them and to welcome them into the world of organized labor and the better way of life that it creates.
I do have a couple of regrets however,...first off, I should have taken more photos!!,...and secondly, I don't have the total picture of the impact we made during our visit since the "numbers" were not in at the time of our departure. I will be in contact with many of the new friends/union brothers and sisters that I met there in the coming weeks, so I expect to know better how well we rallied the troops soon! As for the photos,.....I guess that will require another trip to Colorado!!
The experience of seeing the state of Colorado was worth the trip by itself, but the idea of being able to give a hand up to state workers there and help them attain the dignity and respect they deserve was like a triple layer of frosting on the cake!! In closing I would just like to say a heart felt thank you to all the 503 people who had a hand in choosing the people who got to go on the trip and in making all the arrangements that helped to make it a smooth and successful trip. There are still challenges ahead in bringing Colorado into the SEIU family, but the good people who are there working for the International side of SEIU day in and day out have laid a solid foundation for the rest of us in SEIU to build on, and we owe it to them, the State of Colorado, and to ourselves, to stay firmly in the trenches with them until victory is won, because I think that any gain made for labor anywhere is a gain for labor everywhere.

-John Drago