This Labor Day, I want to express thanks for all the benefits and protections of SAG-AFTRA. I feel lucky that I grew up in a union family, and that I’ve been a union member for nearly 40 years.
So far, 2022 has been a banner year for the labor movement. From Amazon to Starbucks, workers are organizing and asking for higher wages, more benefits and safer workplaces. A 2021 Gallup poll showed 68% of Americans approve of labor unions, the highest rate since 1965. For young people, ages 18–34, that approval rate jumped to 77%. The political environment has vastly improved as well, with President Biden declaring himself the “most pro-union president ever.”
Is it possible to bring the energy and excitement of what’s happening now in labor to our own union? I hope so. I’d love to see younger members getting involved and bringing fresh ideas to our local.
One way to start is by attending our annual member meetings. Our next one will be held virtually later this month, on Monday, Sept. 12, at 6:30 p.m. Wilmington, North Carolina, casting directors Craig and Lisa Mae Fincannon will be our special guests.
Labor Day is the perfect time to recognize award-winning broadcaster Jayne Miller, who retired at the end of July after more than 40 years at WBAL-TV. Among her investigative work at the Baltimore station, Jayne exposed problems in judicial accountability, unfair mortgage servicing practices and numerous consumer complaints for “11 On Your Side.” She led the investigative team covering the Freddie Gray case, for which she received the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award Honoring Excellence in Broadcast and Digital News in 2016. This year, the Radio Television Digital News Foundation awarded her a lifetime achievement award. Congratulations, Jayne, on your outstanding career. We wish you all the best for a happy and healthy retirement.
In solidarity,
Kathryn
Washington-Mid Atlantic Local President
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