Moviegoers lined up to see Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump. In South Africa, black voters waited hours in line for the opportunity to cast ballots for the first time. They elected Nelson Mandela as their president. George W. Bush became governor of Texas. Parris Glendening was elected Maryland’s governor. Richard Nixon died. Doug Duncan replaced Neal Potter as Montgomery County Executive. Wayne Curry was elected County Executive in Prince Georges. UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO opened its doors with a small staff and a bundle of legal bills.
“In those first days, it was just Bob Stewart and me, part-time employee Dave Blackwell and a temporary receptionist, the phones constantly ringing and battles raging all around us,” recalls Gino Renne who has served as the Local’s leader since its inception.
Over the next two decades, Local 1994 would grow into an organization with a reputation as an aggressive fighter for the rights of government workers. Today, Local 1994 is staffed with 14 full-time employees and still accumulating a growing list of firsts.
Your contract was negotiated with management by your co-workers and Local 1994 leaders. Every member has a right to make suggestions about what should be in the contract—and to vote on the final agreement.
Many things! For instance, to win a good contract, employees have to show management that we are united in support of our negotiating team. Sometimes, we have to get support from other unions, community groups, public officials, consumers, or other organizations to convince management to reach a reasonable agreement.
The rights and benefits in the contract are guaranteed. Management cannot legally change them without negotiations with our union.
