On Father’s Day - It All Comes Down To Family

On Father’s Day, dads are honored with cards, visits and gifts. The one day of the year when we all take stock of our heritage. My own dad was a farmer and a butcher. We hacked out a life on a 47-acre farm in Bad Axe, Michigan. We grew corn, soybeans, navy beans and tomatoes.

When I was 14, we attended a local farm auction that included a 1941 Dodge Stake Truck. I dreamed about owning my own truck, so dad gave me permission to bid on it. I had $10 in my pocket and started bidding. Suddenly the bid hit $12.50 and I felt dejected. My older brother nudged me and said, I have some money, keep bidding. We won the truck for a grand total of $15!

I think about that a lot and how my brother made a sacrifice to help me out. Our union is a family and, in a family, you stand together when the chips are down. Sometimes you need your brother to have your back. In a time when working people are being attacked from all sides by the billionaire class, it is important to have each other’s back.

Each member of this great union has people depending on them. As leaders, we MUST defend our members and their families. Job security, retirement security and a living wage are the defense against a system that is set up to favor the wealthy. Every contract, every fight impacts us all regardless of whether we are covered by that contract or not. Those covered ARE our family, and we stand with them.

My father has been gone 13 years, but his example still resonates with me today. Happy Father’s Day to all our UAW fathers. Enjoy the day with your family and never forget the lessons your father taught you.

In Solidarity

Mike

Mike and Terri Booth with their two sons, great daughter in laws and seven grandkids!