I
THE SOURCE
You are where the power starts
A President, an Executive or a member of staff does not give you your place in the union.
Members come first.
The institutions exist because members created them and gave them work to do.
OPEN →YOU & MEMBERSHIP
The union begins with members
A union is not an organization standing above its members. It exists because people join together, contribute resources, make decisions and give institutions limited authority to act for them.
ILLUSTRATION / VISUAL — TO BE ADDED
II
SHARED OWNERSHIP
You help build everything the union has
Your dues join the dues of thousands of other members.
Together, members build the union’s money, property, staff, legal capacity, education, bargaining strength and ability to organize.
None of it belongs personally to an officer or employee. It belongs to the membership collectively.
OPEN →III
PARTICIPATION
is not a subscription
Paying dues matters. But dues cannot vote, ask questions, elect representatives, attend meetings or hold anyone accountable.
Being a member means having rights — and using them.
A democratic union cannot be something members simply purchase and somebody else operates for them.
OPEN →IV
RESPONSIBILITY
Power also brings responsibility
If members are the source of democratic authority, keeping the union democratic cannot be somebody else’s job alone.
Members need meaningful opportunities to vote, participate, ask questions, make proposals, elect representatives, challenge decisions and organize with one another.
OPEN →V
THE OTHER HALF
The institution has responsibilities too
Telling members to “get involved” is not enough.
Meetings must be accessible. Information must be available. Rules must be understandable. Elections must matter. Decisions must be traceable.
Participation is real only when the structure allows members to use it.
OPEN →