Brothers and sisters, thank you for being here and for supporting two of my favorite things: unionism and the great outdoors. I’m proud to be the chairman of the USA board and the very first member of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance. Here’s my proof: my card is 000001.
Many of you in this room were here just one short year ago, and since that time we’ve done some pretty special things. We’ve got some reasons to be proud. Let me tell you. The USA has more than 200,000 active members, and that makes us the fastest-growing nonprofit conservation organization in the United States. That’s news!
We continue to produce an award winning television show called Brotherhood Outdoors, and every episode tells a positive story about hardworking union sportsmen and sports women.
We have raised money and brought together thousands of union members at more than 45 fundraising shoots and conservation dinners.
And here’s what we should be most proud of: in the last few years, the USA has completed more than 52 Work Boots on the Ground projects throughout North America. Fifteen in just the first six months of this year.
Last year, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell stood right here with Fred [Myers] and me to launch a joint effort by the AFL-CIO, the USA and the Interior Department, to improve and enhance wild lands in America and, since that time, volunteers from IBEW Local 80 helped build an elevated boardwalk through a cypress marsh at a wildlife refuge in Virginia, and you’ll be glad to know we’ve got other joint projects in the works in Wisconsin, Texas and Minnesota.
You see, the USA brings workers of various trades together at every level, from the international to the local. We bring today’s workers together with the next generation, and together we do good work through the Work Boots on the Ground program. We contribute skilled union labor and financial support, and we literally build and repair bridges in state parks, and we improve and restore wildlife habitat. We upgrade infrastructure like trails, ramps, docks and shelters. We encourage youth to get outdoors and then we mentor them. This is important for a lot of reasons. It helps our unions connect with our members and it also helps foster relationships from trade to trade. It gives our members a sense of pride. Our conservation efforts are also good for our communities, and together we generate positive news about unions for local newspapers and TV stations.
Let’s give a big round of applause to all of the union volunteers around this country who make this work possible!
I’m proud to say we have another first.
Just a couple months ago, the USA received our first corporate grant from American Water Charitable Foundation. American Water is the largest publicly traded utility in the country, and more than half its workers are union. That grant money will help us complete projects in Illinois, Tennessee and West Virginia.
American Water’s CEO Susan Story and President Walter Lynch are here with us today.
Susan and Walter, I want to thank you and everyone at American Water for stepping up as USA’s first corporate foundation to support this wonderful program.
Your grant will improve local parks and communities, and it will also continue to build bridges between union members and the community, and will also raise the profile of union members in America.
Please join me in a round of applause for American Water!
As I said a minute ago, the USA is growing fast. We’re adding members, and this year so far we’ve also added three new unions as Charter Unions. I’m talking about the Utility Workers, who also make up more than 50% of the employees of American Water! President Michael Langford is here with us this evening, and let’s hear it for the Utility Workers!
I’m also talking about the United Auto Workers, who became a Charter Union earlier this year. President Dennis Williams is with us this evening, so let’s hear it for the UAW! Thank you, Dennis.
We’re also proud to welcome the Laborers’ back to the USA as a Charter Union. Rod Bennett is here representing the Laborers’, and I would like to hear it for them as well. Thank you, Rod!
I also want to give a special shout out to the Ironworkers, the Fire Fighters, and my own union, the UMWA, for being the first unions outside the USA Board of Directors to host a fundraising shoot, or dinner, to support the organization.
We are here tonight to celebrate the fact that Labor has a new and powerful tool to unite our union community. I’m talking about the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, and I couldn’t be happier about what we’ve achieved so far.
But I have to tell you, all this is possible only because of the people who share this vision and are willing to work hard to make it a reality, and as I look around I see a room filled with individuals who are committed to the success of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance.
I want everyone here from one of our Charter Unions to raise your hand. Thank you!
And now I want everyone who has ever sponsored a shoot to raise your hand. That’s great!
If you have participated in Work Boots on the Ground, raise your hand and give a shout!
If you sponsored the TV show, raise your hand and make some noise!
If you’re a USA founding partner, raise your hand!
If you are a USA staff member, please raise your hand!
How about a huge round of applause for all of the partners in this room who have helped us create such a powerful organization.
Now listen, if you haven’t raised your hand, don’t worry, because I promise we’ll be signing you up for something soon, and you’ll be raising your hand next year!
Thank you for coming! God bless you and the work you do!