I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: It’s an honor to serve as your Council 57 president. We represent close to 35,000 workers throughout California and I take it as my personal responsibility to make sure that every one of our members gets fair representation at their jobs and a fair return for their work.

Protecting our members’ rights is even more important now that working during the COVID-19 pandemic is our new reality. That’s why I believe communication is even more crucial to keep us all connected and united during these challenging times.

For the time being, we will continue to hold our Executive Board and Delegate meetings virtually. But we will also continue to set up frequent meetings with our local presidents so that everyone’s concerns can be heard in an open, less formal setting.

We have made sure to fill vacant staff positions quickly so that our union representatives can continue to identify the needs of our members and solve problems in a timely manner.

We have also created more committees on an Executive Board-level to create more inclusion, transparency, structure and processes throughout the council.

As we begin this new year, I want you to know that I understand it if you feel like you have COVID fatigue. Let’s all just remember that, as we try to deal with this new normal, it’s important to have each other’s backs.

For me, that means that, when it’s my turn to get the vaccine, I’ll be getting my shot not just for my own health and safety but also for the health and safety of my family, coworkers and community.

This year, I hope you’ll join me in doing your part so we can all get things back to normal and keep our union can strong.