Talk to Your Kids About the Union

Talking union to children is good both for the union movement and the family. It lays the groundwork for creating the next generation of union members and supporters of working family priorities. It also generates common values and experiences that bond family members together.

In fact, data collected by the University of Minnesota’s Labor Education Service suggest children who are aware of their parents’ involvement with the union are far more likely to feel positive about unions. “They benefit from the knowledge they pick up
concerning what a union means,” says Howard Kling, labor educator and director of telecommunications at the education service. “I think they’ll carry it for the rest of their lives.”

Educators say that the best way to talk to kids about unions is by relating union activities to concrete experiences they are having now. Telling them about your job and why you joined the union helps them understand the good work that BAC and other unions do to raise the living standard of all working people. Encourage your children and other family members to join you at Union functions, to read labor-friendly publications such as the Journal, and to visit labor websites such as www.bacweb.org to learn more about BAC’s and other unions’ proud traditions.

It’s up to each of us to make sure that the good work and solidarity of generations of union members continues.