Open letter from Sgt. Willoughby - Chapter 2

Howdy folks, and welcome to the next chapter of where do we go from here…??? By now, we

are all well aware that the restructuring of the majority of our E-board will take place very soon. If this is news to you, I would encourage you to take a few minutes and read the blog or check out the latest edition of The Voice.

Recently, I put an open forum letter out to the MCCDA membership. This, in a snapshot,

represented my feelings and frustrations surrounding our Union, its current state and the

unwillingness of the membership to get involved. Since that time, numerous members have

reached out to me or caught me in person to express their overwhelmingly positive feedback.

What I learned most from these interactions was that I am not alone in my frustrations and

feelings on the subject. Secondly (and much to my surprise) members were receptive to my

willingness to do so in an open forum.

In turn, these interactions have given me hope. Hope that perhaps I was wrong and people do

care. Hope that we can halt the downturn and mistrust of those we choose to represent us and shape the future of our Union in the best interest of us, the membership. The beauty of it all is that we don’t have to wait. We can utilize this hope to make meaningful change through the nomination of peers who are best suited to fill a vacancy. We can vote and rally our peers and colleagues to do the same. Change will only happen if the collective membership takes an active interest in the security of our jobs and the future of our Union.

So, where are we now? Currently, we are in a holding pattern, all be it, only for a short period

of time. We are all expecting and anticipating how it will all shake out. Guess what?

Management is in the same boat. However, they are chomping at the bit for status quo, or

dare I say it, further decline. What they don’t want is our membership uniting to make

meaningful and necessary changes that could alter the landscape.

In my last letter, I openly and honestly expressed that I didn’t have the answer. Today, I still

don’t have all the answers. However, I do have hope and optimism the answers will begin to be answered through interest and participation. The direction and interests of our Union must

come from us, the membership.

The time has come for me to put my money where my mouth is. Therefore, I will accept and

embrace the nomination to MCCDA President that is forthcoming. I am inspired by the hope,

your feedback and the undoubtable need for change. It would be my honor to serve as our

collective voice and represent the interests and future of this Union. I look forward to seeing

each of you in my visits to the facilities and addressing any concerns or reservations you may

have (Yes, I know the stigma/feeling surrounding IAU).

R/S,

Chris