Brothers and sisters,
The Local 223 Painting with Power Women’s Committee Event that was planned for tonight has been postponed due to COVID-19 and the need to be socially distant.
Please be safe!
Juanita Ray,
President, Local 223
At 6 PM on February 19, 2020, Local 223 held a nomination meeting for the Office of President. Juanita Ray was nominated by Chairman Marc Little of Gas Division. Juanita soon found out that she would be running unopposed. Within a few minutes, the National Union was contacted, one official vote was cast and she was sworn in as President by Vice President Tim Cox. Per Article VI Section 7 of the Constitution and By-Laws of Local 223, Juanita will be installed as President of Local 223 following the announcement of the election results.
This is a proud day for Local 223 as Juanita Ray becomes the first African- American Woman to become President of Our Local. We look forward to her leadership as she replaces Mike Smith, who retired in December of 2019.
Brothers and Sisters, if you have not seen this video, please click on the link to see the jointly produced video of Local 223’s Women in Trades. This video highlights our Sisters in various trades throughout DTE. We are proud of our Sisters and appreciate all the hard work. These are only a few of many Sisters who are trailblazers in their trades here at DTE Energy. Local 223 represents many women in various companies throughout Michigan. As we kick off Women’s National History Month on March 1st, Local 223 would like to take this opportunity to say Thank You to our Sisters who make it happen every day of the week!!!
Brothers & Sisters, Local 223 was recently notified that the texting app has changed due to new regulations. Previously we had a shortcode of “99000” that we could use to register but now we have a longcode assigned, 8775800223. If you were previously registered you do not have to do anything, but if you wish to register for the app see the attached flyer to help guide you through the process. If you are still having issues, please give Local 223 a call @ 313.271.9700. Thanks
Support good jobs this Valentine’s Day with union-made chocolates!
Earlier this month, we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Let’s be proud that we had great men like Martin Luther King Jr. who advocated and believed in the greatness of labor unions.
It’s not too late to order your UWUA 2020 calendar! This year’s UWUA Women’s Caucus calendar is full of inspiring stories from amazing ladies across UWUA!
What are you waiting for? E-mail Valerie King (vking@uwua.net) or Ursula Grant (Ursula.grant@uwua1-2.org) to order NOW!
Local 223 President Mike Smith is retiring officially as President of Local 233 and from DTE on December 29. A retirement celebration was held in his honor earlier this month to thank him for his service.
“Local 223 would like to honor President Mike Smith for his 22 years of union service. He has dedicated his career to helping the members of Local 223 in a variety of union leadership positions,” said Tim Cox, Local 223 Vice President. “He has been a tremendous resource to the Local 223 executive board and division chairs since he’s had such a long union career. We hope he enjoys his well-deserved retirement where he plans to enjoy time with family, golf, traveling and boating.”
Read MoreBy Juanita Ray, Local 223 UWUA Treasurer
This month, I would like to talk about how we can strive to embrace and celebrate diversity through inclusion.
The definition of diversity is the state or fact of being different; the inclusion of individuals representing more than one national origin, color, religion, socioeconomic stratum, sexual orientation, etc. while inclusion is self-explanatory and means to include.
In the workplace, organizations are making a concerted effort to be more conscious and inclusive of diversity among its employees. Although I applaud the effort towards diversity, without Inclusion, diversity alone is just that “diversity” Inclusion is the legs to getting the most out of diversity. Whether it is schools, churches, governments, communities or unions—must know that inclusion is the key. It is the shared ideas from multiple diverse people that can skyrocket any industry to the next level.
So how can organizations use inclusion to learn to embrace and respect the diversity that is all around us? Incorporate workplace learning opportunities and interactive events where you get to know the people you work with. Share your idea; ask someone outside of your circle of influence, what do you think? It is these activities that can take a company or union from good to great. Without inclusion, diversity stands alone. It’s up to us to open ourselves up to diversity by including others—and that will net us the rich experiences that diversity can provide.
Let’s put our hearts and minds together and continue the course to embrace all diversity through inclusion at work and in our homes, schools and communities.