My grandfather was a lifetime member of a union. That union and the union my grandmother belonged to gave me the life I have today. In 2010, I was so humbled and honored to receive strong union support and I have proven my dedication to our unions since then by standing with our fire, police, and general employee unions to find solutions together and to protect our employees and families. Those who know me and the legacy impact of unions on my life long before any election never question my commitment. Let me explain.
I am first generation American. My father was born in Liverpool and my mother in Montreal.
During World War II, my paternal grandfather was a member of the fire brigade in Liverpool; my grandmother and dad went to stay with friends in Wales to avoid the serial German bombing of the Liverpool docks.
After the war, Liverpool was devastated and my grandfather had only apprentice training as a painter. With no jobs there wasn't much immediate hope for this young family. So they, like lots of other families, sold what little they had to raise funds for third class tickets on a former troop transport ship (USS Marine Falcon) to New York City in January 1948. They had only what they could carry in a suitcase and almost no money.
After trying desperately to make a go of it with a young family to care for and no family here to help, they were ready to give up and find their way back to Liverpool to eke out a life as best as possible. However, my grandfather met someone who got him a job as a painter. That year, in 1948, he became a member of The Brotherhood of Painters and Decorators of America, later known as the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, District 9. My grandmother would become a member of ILGWU and was never out of a day of wanted work either, though her work was seasonal.
My grandfather was a proud lifetime member of the Union, climbing up and down ladders and painting until he was into his 70s, only stopping because cancer forced him to put down the brushes and rollers. He taught me how to freehand with a brush without relying on painters tape but I never learned his skill of mixing the perfect hue of paint or varnish.
The union membership of my grandparents gave my father the opportunity to go to university and to go on to be a success in his own right. Those unions were responsible for the life my parents gave to me and my own personal journey.
When I was elected in 2010, my grandfather was so proud, to the point of tears, when he learned of the union support I had received for our campaign. I’ve never forgotten the impact unions have had on my life.
In 2011, I went to Tallahassee to challenge a proposed law meant to undermine public union membership. You can listen to what I said:
This year, I am grateful for the union support of our campaign from the Sunrise FOP, Broward PBA, Broward Teachers Union Broward AFL-CIO and Teamsters Local, and would be honored to earn the endorsement of other unions because it’s in my blood and it’s part of who I am today. I’ve always consistently fought for the members and worked with unions to find solutions. In my own personal experience and life, unions are not part of the problem, they are part of the solution.