Not “they gave us 3% — thanks, at least it’s something.”
But: What is our labor truly worth, and what are we capable of achieving?
The reason
Why I’m Doing This
Because I am no longer willing to act like a guest inside an institution people build and sustain.
We’ve been conditioned to view
the mere fact that we’ve been allowed to the table as a success.
To view
any raise as a victory, because “it could have been worse.”
To view
a union as something granted to us — something we are expected to be grateful for.
To view
dues as a fee for a service provided by some external organization.
We are not guests at this table.
The union is an organized expression of our own power.
And that is why the most important thing about live out loud and fight out loud isn’t even the volume.
It’s refusing to settle for a diminished version of ourselves.
Here is what that means in real life:
Not “the grievance was closed — procedure was followed.”
But: Has justice been restored, or not?
Not “we have a Collective Agreement — so everything is fine.”
But: Is it being honored, or not?
Not “we’re represented at the table.”
But: Do we determine the outcome, or are we merely present while decisions about us are made?
I’m replacing the question “What do we deserve?” with the question
Are we willing to settle for less at all?
I no longer agree with the philosophy of “at least something.”
I don’t believe in half a contract, half a right, half a struggle, or half a result.
For me, fighting is not a pose and it is not permanent opposition. It is what responsibility looks like when a question has been asked, an answer has been found, and doing nothing would mean refusing to live by that answer.