What are we taking with us from 2020 into 2021?In conversations about 2020, we’ve probably all expressed our willingness to leave it all behind. But, as I reflect on the year, there is much of 2020 that we should carry with us into 2021, and one thing we should celebrate is our ongoing commitment to this community and the work that we continued to do in the face of a global health pandemic and the extraordinary attacks on our democratic institutions. As the fights for social and economic justice took center stage this year, they pushed us and provided opportunities for our work to play a pivotal role in creating a more just and equitable society.
As virtual training became a necessity, this new reality allowed us to put more tools in our training toolbox, and we were able to broaden our reach to those who might not have had access otherwise. The virtual world provided the opportunity to participate in labor education in ways that geography often prohibits us from doing. One way that UALE responded to this situation was to share those programs on our Facebook page as part of social media outreach #WorkerEdWednesday. We are sincerely grateful for those who opened their programs and shared them with this community. Let’s keep this going into 2021. There’s so much to learn from one another.
If there was one thing that so many learned about in 2020, it was what it means to be an “essential” worker. As I see signs of gratitude and appreciation for essential workers, I wonder if it’s not too far-fetched to believe that people are starting to see that the overall health of our communities is dependent on the well-being of all its members. The ability of labor educators to lift up the voices of the workers who have been most at risk and have faced the greatest losses is not new, but it has been critical in the fight for legislation that puts workers first. What we learned this year will most certainly inform how we organize, negotiate contracts and advocate for pro-worker policies going forward.
And, no one can deny that we saw a rise in activism on issues of social and racial justice. While the fight for justice goes on, the lives of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, and too many others, will not be forgotten. Collective efforts for equality and the end to racial violence, whether in the streets or in our individual organizations, have taken on a new sense of urgency. And, as a community, we know that this fight is core to our movement. So, we will continue to create opportunities to learn from one another and stand in solidarity with one another. The only option is to take this and move forward from here in 2021.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty to say good-bye to from 2020. But, let’s take those things that will serve us and our labor community. And, of course, let’s do look forward to 2021 with the hope of a new U.S. administration and arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine. And, although we will still be meeting virtually, the UALE Conference is going to be great – so don’t miss it. 2021 is our year for getting into some good trouble. Amanda Pacheco, UALE Vice President, Unions International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
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