This summer I had the amazing opportunity to work with the ALF-CIO Idaho chapter. They wanted some help reworking their communication with their members. I was able to help create a template for a newsletter and enough information to have 6 months of newsletters go out monthly. They wanted to be able to get information out to their members in a clearer format and wanted feedback from them to see what questions they had. I also had the opportunity to sit in on meetings and learn about the operations of the AFL-CIO and the benefit that they are to their members.

The AFL-CIO taught me about union laws and the history of unions. I had the opportunity to attend the weeklong Grace Carroll Rocky Mountain Union School in Butte Montana with the ALF-CIO Idaho chapter. There I met members of different unions from across the Rocky Mountain region. I learned about the history of unions and laws protecting union members. At the end of the weeklong school there was a graduation and everyone who attended earned a certificate of completion. I spent most of the 200 hours (about 1 week 1 and a half days) at the conference. It started on a Sunday with a welcome session and meet and greet and ended Friday night with the graduation ceremony.

I enjoyed this opportunity and look forward to participating in the program next year and learning about more careers in the area.