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True leadership is not about power over people, it is about power with people. My elected position as president comes with constitutional authority, but that authority does not make me a leader. I am a leader because members share my vision for our future.
Before anyone can become a leader, with or without a role of authority, they must prove themselves to be worthy of leadership. The people who surround you daily may not think about your attributes, but they will watch what you do, and through this observation they know who you really are. This insight will be used to determine if you are a self serving individual motivated by ego or greed, wishing to succeed at someone else's expense or an honorable and trusted leader whose vision they will share and who's direction they will follow.
The IBEW has a rich history of dedicated leaders dating from 1890. This outstanding leadership has seen us through prosperous as well as turbulent times. We have not only survived, but thrived due to our understanding and devotion of true leadership. The foundation of leadership is a shared vision. The basic requirement of leadership is an honorable character based on strong principles, and the commitment to leadership is demonstrated through selfless service to the organization. Fall short with any of these attributes and given any authority, you may be obeyed, but you will not lead.
My responsibility as a leader is to energize our membership, to call forth the abundance of skills, talents and knowledge that they possess. To guide them in transforming our local into an entity with a vast potential for survival, growth and excellence. The well being and success of our members is important to me, and I communicate my interest with actions as well as words. My success as a leader, as well as the success of our local rests solely in their hands. Our members are our power, just as the employees are the power behind the success of Kansas City Power & Light.
My inspiration has roots in the admiration I hold for our Labor Leaders of the past. They guided their members with energy, inspiration, determination, willpower, and nerve to defend the cause of human justice, human rights, and human security. The relative comfort and prosperity working people enjoyed in the '50s and '60s was not the invention of charitable business executives or a miracle of "free enterprise"; it was the achievement of long, hard-fought labor struggles. Dignity in the work place, job security, the 40 hour work week, health care benefits, vacations, and a weekly paycheck that actually lasted a week , were not simply given to workers, they were won and defended by our unions and their leaders. My vision for local 1613 is a reawakening of that spirit of solidarity among our members, because it is up to us to build upon that legacy in order to provide a future for our children.
My children are in the work force, and as I watch corporations recording record profits, while at the same time slashing wages and discarding lifelong employees, I worry about their ability to provide a decent life for their families. As more and more workers are forced into part time and contractor positions which provide little if any benefits, I worry about the future of my grandchildren. Labor unions continue to be the sole collective voice for all workers, and without strong unions and a vibrant labor movement, our future would be bleak.
Men, women, and children were threatened, beaten and executed in their fight for the rights and labor laws that both union and non-union workers take for granted today. How many of you are unaware that Sweatshops and child labor are no longer a legacy of the past? They are being re-instituted at an alarming rate, right here in the United States as well as abroad. In this age of downsizing, outsourcing, re-engineering, deregulation, privatization, and globalization, what is expedient and profitable often rules over what is right.
Today, America has the most unequal distribution of income of any major industrial nation with 10% of Americans owning 70% of the wealth. How many of you are one of those fortunate few? If not, then you have felt the effect of this lopsided economy. Employees deserve equal respect, dignity, and prosperity that is given to major shareholders, whose profits they produce. With an economic system that relies on private enterprises and markets, working families need unions to provide them with a strong voice and a dynamic role. Through the power of our people, we can overcome workplace discrimination, reverse the trend of workers laboring longer and harder for less, and make time for family and community once again.
The local unions at KCPL, Local's 1613, 1464, and 412 represent a very small segment of one of the largest unions in the world. The International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers represent approximately 800,000 members who are united by our common goal. We in the IBEW want a world where all workers can go to safe workplaces and earn a fair wage for their labor. We want a world where all workers can develop their talents to the fullest and have a wealth of opportunity before them. We want a world where all workers can retire with dignity and know that their healthcare is affordable and available. Above all, we want a world where all workers can organize and bargain collectively to achieve these goals in fairness and in justice.
Leadership is often a difficult role. Risks must be taken and errors will be made. But, we must learn from our mistakes and continue to move forward, for there is no greater joy in true leadership than building an organization with an environment that allows both the organization and its people to prosper and excel.
I am honored to be recognized as a leader in the IBEW whose goals promote a better standard of living for the people in our industry, our nation and the world.
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