Second Week Coming to an End

As the second week has come to an end I am beginning to really feel the passion for this job. I am not talking about my own passion, I am talking about the passion of the real organizers. My week was spent doing some research on the local clergy who might help us with our campaign and two days knocking on doors trying to get a feel for the actual bus drivers.

After knocking on about 12 doors all around the Chicagoland area and not one employee being at that address, we finally found one. This employee shared some stories with Audrey and I about favoritism, but mostly about how the managers/owners make everyone scared. You could feel this employees desire for change but nerves about losing his job if the company found out the employee spoke to the Teamster. It was a bit of a reality check for me. It has me thinking about really serious issue of how we treat others and what that means for my future rabbinate and life.

About me summer long question (Why do these organizers do what they do) I got a chance to sit down with Shawn and Jim. We had a long talk and I think I really pushed them (as they pushed back) to why this stuff was so unethical or was some of it just unfair/brutal business. Eventually, I asked Jim why he became an organizer. Jim told me he was a 4th generation Teamster. He worked for a company/union for almost 25 years and then joined the Teamsters so others would be able to put away for their families like he has done. Clearly, he feels a connection because he was a worker and so were the generations before him. Jim seem to be a bright guy who could be doing a lot of different things in this world. But he has chosen to just help others. That is what the guy wants to do. Help. I respected that a lot. 

My goal, as stated before, is to talk to non-former-workers who organize. Unfortunately, there aren't any really at the Teamsters office I work at, but I will keep exploring. Until next time.

Have a wonderful Sabbath. Rest up.
And Let Us Say...Amen.
-Jeremy Fine