General Government and Higher Education just came out of a 1.5-year bargaining cycle. Members rejected the first offer, pushed for improvements, and stayed in it for months. In the end, the state restored the same minimal package that had been rejected a year earlier.

Some members felt like the fight went on too long.

Some felt like we pushed too hard, fought alone, or asked too much from too few people.

Others felt exposed, like they were put in the middle of something that didn’t deliver the payoff they expected. Those reactions are absolutely valid. They come from people who were tired, frustrated, or disappointed by the outcome. Ignoring that would only guarantee we repeat the same problems.

We also have to acknowledge the numbers. Member participation increased during actions, but contract voting was still low.

About half of the workforce is dues-paying and eligible to vote, and about 30 percent of those members actually voted.

That means the people who showed up carried the weight for the people who didn’t. Employers and the state see those numbers. They make assumptions based on them. Low participation gives them confidence that they can wait us out.

This is why next year matters. We fully expect the contracts to be funded in the supplemental. Members have been writing legislators through the Pies and Postcards campaign, and lawmakers understand that funding these contracts is unfinished business. That part is moving.

But the larger issue is what comes next. Because the last bargaining process ran so long, we are already back in bargaining for the next two-year agreement. Normally we would get a break. This time there is no break. We are stepping in immediately.

On the library side, FVRL and KRL are in bargaining right now. Their employers have been watching what happened at the state level and drawing conclusions about the overall strength of the union. Some employers believe members are discouraged. Others believe the union “overreached” and now members won’t back further action. If we do nothing, those assumptions will harden.

We are not entering this next cycle alone.

Other unions watched the last bargaining round and saw that our members stayed in the fight long after anyone expected. Those unions are coming into this legislative session prepared to stand with us instead of watching from the sidelines. Support will be stronger this year, if members show they are engaged enough that legislators and employers can see it.

Participation doesn’t mean repeating last year’s intensity. It means building a structure that doesn’t depend on a small minority to carry everyone else.

It looks like:

• More people showing up to UNITY so information doesn’t bottleneck.
• Members reporting changes early so stewards and staff aren’t blindsided.
• Accurate updates moving through the unit instead of rumor chains.
• People taking on one small task instead of assuming someone else will handle it.
• New Stewards stepping forward in units that have gone years with too little coverage.
• Members choosing to pay dues so the people who are doing the work aren’t carrying the financial weight alone.

This is how we rebuild trust across the union. We’re not trying to recreate the last cycle. We’re trying to prevent it from repeating. Employers and the state will test us again next year. They will assume we are tired and divided unless they see evidence that members are ready to participate at even modest levels.

Participation builds leverage. Silence gives the other side confidence.

Members decide which one we walk into bargaining with next year.