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Hello again!
What a busy week (and weekend) last week!
First, we had Monday off for Labour Day (thanks, Unions!) which was awesome. I don’t know about you, but I love having an extra day to sleep in. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, I volunteered with the Building Trades of Alberta Charitable Foundation as we worked with Yellowhead Casino to raise some funds. The hours were long – 6pm to 4am – but worthwhile. I got to meet some great people giving selflessly to help us out. People who spend a great deal of their life donating time to charities; people who just believe in the value of giving back to their communities.
Then, on the weekend, I drove down to Okotoks to attend the 3rd Annual Solidarity Slugfest, again, in support of the Building Trades of Alberta Charitable Foundation, but more importantly, it was an opportunity for the Brothers and Sisters in attendance to get together and build the Union community. I saw Ironworkers, Carpenters, Plumbers and Pipefitters, Operating Engineers, Sheet Metal Workers and Labourers all working together to support our Charitable Foundation in rain and in sunshine and getting to know each other off the tools.
I have worked in a few different roles: municipal administration, pensions, benefits, and education, and in none of those organizations have I witnessed or felt the level of camaraderie and brotherhood that I have since starting here at the BTA. That sense of belonging and mutual support is something that you don’t realize matters until you don’t have it – believe me, it matters a lot.
That is why it is so important that we all work to ensure that our community grows stronger. We can all work to enhance the spirit of Brotherhood by attending and participating in the various Local and BTA events that take place throughout the year, and by encouraging our brothers and sisters to do the same. In my other jobs, there was very little sense of belonging and it was like pulling teeth to get people to spend any time together that wasn’t required by the job. Having the opportunity to work somewhere that values that sense of community and that goes out of its way to provide opportunities to get together with my friends and coworkers is something that I’m immensely grateful for and that I worry many members may take for granted.
So get out there! Participate! Find out what is going on and join in! I do my best to keep you up-to-date through Facebook and Twitter and I encourage you to let me know about any events that I haven’t yet shared so that we can keep growing this awesome community that we have. As always, feel free to leave me comments here or to connect with me through Facebook or Twitter. It would be great to hear from you.
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