America, Levi’s, Unions, and Cool

By George Giles

President of Local 2550 of the Southwest Regional Joint Board, Workers United, SEIU

Across the world, a pair of Levi’s symbolizes America — its work ethic, its freedom, and — yeah — its sense of cool.

I’ve worked at Levi Strauss in Jackson for 15 years. I repair, service, and operate the equipment. I’m also the President of our union, Local 2550 of the Southwest Regional Joint Board, Workers United, SEIU. I’m proud that, through my union, I have a say in our wages and how things are done at work. But the fact is, not enough people have what we have.

I’m not going to lie. While Levi’s have stayed cool for decades, unions have not. Although they are becoming cooler. About 60% of Americans and 75% of young people view unions favorably — the highest rate in nearly a decade. But more must be done to make sure everybody has the right to form unions. That’s why this Labor Day, I’m joining working people across the country to remind politicians and corporations that people who work for a living need to be able to make ends meet and live a good life.

I joined our union because I wanted to make a decent living. Our union gave me a sense of security that I would be able to provide for my kids, and I didn’t have to worry about not having a job. My co-workers and I negotiated our wages, benefits, insurance, and holidays. There’s power in that.

I’ve worked at other places and you don’t get that. A job is no good if you work all week and don’t make enough to pay your bills or afford to live somewhere decent. Without a union, you’re getting close to the minimum wage. In fact, union workers make 27 percent more than workers without a union. For communities of color, the benefit is even greater. According to a paper published by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, in 2016, Black union workers earned $24.24 an hour, compared to $17.78 for their non-union counterparts. That’s huge.

Imagine how much stronger our communities would be if politicians and corporations weren’t taking away our freedom to form unions? Unions give people more family time, which makes everybody happy. And when you’re secure in your job, there’s a positive domino effect in your family and your community. If people didn’t have the stress of not being able to pay bills because they are paid so little, it would cut down on stress-related conditions such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and depression.

With a school teacher and a soldier as parents, discipline, education, and doing right by people was the way I was raised. I was nominated President of our union because I want to help people in any way I can. It all starts on the shop floor. I tell my co-workers that it’s different here: your voice matters. One or two people to a company don’t mean anything. But a couple hundred — that’s when they listen. Our members know that their union is going to make sure that the company does right by them. And Levi listens to us because we give it our all. Everyone works together and the quality goes up because people take pride in their job when they have good wages and benefits.

Today, I’m standing with fellow union members to call for every working American to have what we have — decent pay, benefits, job security, and the right to form a union — so we can live a good life and make sure our kids have the opportunity to get ahead. America needs unions because unions help everyone, not just union members. Working people in unions have fought for and won so many things that all of us benefit from and depend on: Social security, family leave, health and safety laws, unemployment insurance, and a 40-hour work week.

On Labor Day, let’s remember this. Like a pair of Levi’s and like America itself, a union means a solid work ethic, the freedom to make a good living, and — say it with me now — all things cool.