Union City Logo
Quad City Federation of Labor,
AFL-CIO		 Union City Logo
 

Logo of the United Way - AFLCIO Partnership

 

United Way/Labor Partnership

 A 65-year tradition

United Way of the Quad Cities Area works closely with local partners - including organized labor to tackle the most critical issues in our community. Union representatives serve as volunteers on committees who are working together to improve lives and make lasting change.

Did you know that 1 in 3 children in Rock Island County and 1 in 5 in Scott County under the age of 5 live in poverty? More importantly, those children enter kindergarten 1-2 years behind in language and other skills important for school. That’s why United Way is working with agency partners, area schools, unions, and other community organizations to focus on helping our children for a lifetime of success.

With the Birth to Work Agenda, United Way will help ensure our youth are:

     · Ready for school

     · Ready to graduate

     · And ready for work.

It will also ensure we have a community ready to help as they grow.

A union voice in the work of United Way ensures that our community is aware and focused on the needs and issues affecting our working families... as well as ensuring that members of local unions have opportunities to contribute to their community.

The current members on the United Way Board of Directors representing organized labor in the Quad Cities include:

     John White
          Vice Chair of Labor Participation, IBEW 1379

     Mike O'Brien

           UAW 281, John Deere Davenport Works

     Jacob Gorman
          Illinois UAW Cap Council Chair

     Charles 'Skip' McGill
          USWA 105, Alcoa

     Rory Washburn
          Tri City Building Trades Council
 

Community Service and

Union Community Activist Network

Rainbow Skip-Along Day Care Center
Bob Waters & Jim Nunn - UFCW 431 observe children at Rainbow Skip-Along Day Care Center

Each year the Quad City Federation of Labor sponsors Union Counselor Training - which is now called "Union Community Activist Network Training."

Union members who attend this training are given information about the various health and human service agencies that are available in the Quad Cities, as well as information about InfoLink - and how to access the information they have as a referral service. Participants are also given training on listening skills, Labor History and are given information about the value of community activism.

Those who take part in this training are given tools to assist them in starting or reactivating a Community Services/Community Action Committee in their local union. The Union Cities program revolves around a group of union activists who work to make life better for working families and the community as a whole. The Union Community Activist Network is part of this group of activists.

Each year union members take bus tours of the United Way Agencies the get a first-hand view of some of the services provided to the community.

United Way of the Quad Cities and Organized Labor believe in working together for a better community. Each year a large number of union members support the United Way Campaign. Many union members are leadership givers, and many union members volunteer their time to work on United Way Committees.

 
 
Quad City Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
311-1/2 21st Street • Rock Island, IL 61201
(309) 788-1303 • quadcityfed@netexpress.net