Leadership

The leadership of the RAICES Workers Union falls into four equally important categories. 

1. Members

2.  Stewards

3. Designated Union Representatives

4. Co-Chairs

Members are our most important leadership. Each of our dues-paying members is directly contributing to our actions and supporting our workers, as well as all other workers in the labor movement.  Our votes as Members, and our input on important issues, is what steers our unit and supports our progress. Our dues support our WBNG organizers and leadership, their support staff and the legal and administrative support we receive as a unit.

Stewards are a group of self-appointed RAICES workers who are especially invested in supporting our unit by assisting our fellow workers. Ideally, our Stewardship committee is a large and committed group of people from every office who are willing to be the point of contact/welcome committee/support team for new coworkers and coworkers who may be grappling with a contract violation by management or even an interpersonal issue between unit members. Stewards will help lighten the load on the lead Stewards (aka DURs) by fielding questions during breaks and lunch hours and helping arrange fun things like solidarity lunches and union happy hours. If you sign up for this role, your name and contact information will be listed in the union's directory of office stewards, though you will not be on the official list given to management/on the intranet.

Designated Union Representatives (DURs) are either self appointed or elected (depending on number of vacancies and number of interested candidates/nominees), and who are responsible for meeting with management and performing duties pursuant to Article 4, Section 4.  The designated union reps will share a pool of hours each month that they can use to conduct union business during work time (mostly investigating contract violations, supporting colleagues through disciplinary matters, communicating with management, and filing grievances as necessary).  Our unit is permitted to have 1 representative for every 25 employees.

Co-Chairs 

The 4 co-chairs are the Officers of the Unit. In addition to performing general Steward duties, the Co-chairs will focus on meeting with management when necessary (for example, to resolve disputes prior to a formal grievance and participate in committees), monitoring the RWU email account, hosting quarterly meetings, communicating with WBNG staff (reps, organizers, and attorneys), and other general administrative duties for supporting the unit.

• Co-chair (contract enforcement)

• Co-chair (secretary/digital admin)

• Co-chair (member recruitment and organizing)

• Co-chair (at large/general support)

Co-chairs serve two-year terms starting September 1. Elections are held the last week of August.

If a co-chair leaves the organization or gets promoted out of the unit, the other co-chairs will appoint an interim co-chair replacement from the DUR list until the next elections. 

If you are a RWU member and are interested in becoming a Steward or Officer, please email raicestxunion@gmail.com and let us know!