A new on-line women's health community is available to women thanks to HealthyWomen, a group the Coaltion of Labor Union Women has worked closely with on women's health issues over the years.  According to CLUW President Karen See, the goal is to create "a safe health haven for women...a place were women can ask health questions, get answers and share their own experiences with other women, as well as with health care experts.  It offers access to honest feedback, new insights and even some humor 24/7."

For union women, this is espcially exciting, as although most of them are fortunate to have secured health insurance through their union, many are not always using it as effectively as they could and many don't always know where to look for answers to their specific health questions.  There is even a special subgroup devoted to union women, the Labor Union Women's Group.

The LIUNA Women's Caucus asked MidWest Health and Safety Fund Occupational Health Nurse Kathy Utter to check out the site and see if it had value to post to this Website.  Reluctant at first, Kathy found it to be easy to use, interesting and credible. 

Access the site at http://community.healthywomen.org.  Any problems or questions notify the manager Meredith Adams at community.hw@gmail.com

Ever feel like you are swimming upstream in your efforts to be a good worker, a good union member or a leader?  Listen to what some of these successful union leaders have to say about their own experiences.  These strong women can teach us a thing or two about perseverance and keeping our eyes on the mission. 

Note, Linda Chavez Thompson has some early roots in LIUNA.  She used to be an office worker for a LIUNA local in Texas.  She went on to be a successful organizer for AFSCME and eventually, the first female and person of color elected in one of the top leadership positions of the AFL-CIO (Executive Vice President.)

Roots of Leadership Video

There are two upcoming events targeting LIUNA women to hone their skills.

May 19-20 is the 2nd National Conference for Women in the Trades.  The conference is sponsored by the National Building and Construction Trades Department and the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California.  Hundreds of union sisters from various building and construction trades will attend. 

The LIUNA women's caucus is sponsoring up to $1000 in related costs for one LIUNA sister from each region to attend.  If you are interested in attending, please contact your local union before April 15 in order to be considered for a scholarship.

May 30- June 2 is the 22nd Annual Regina V. Polk Womens Leadership Conference.  This will be convened at the University of Illinois in Chicago, IL.  Scholarship money to cover conference related expenses is available through the University specifically for LIUNA women to attend.  This year's focus is on collective bargaining. 

The following women from LIUNA have been awarded Polk scholarships.

Megan Hardy, Local 1140

Susan Howell, Local 773

Stacey Preston, Local 773

Judy Simpson, Local 773

Andrea Garrigan, Local 225

We congratulate them and wish them well in their development. 

With or without a scholarship, don't miss these opportunities when they arise to increase your leadership capacity and network with other union sisters. 

These times are difficult for everyone these days, at least for the 99%.  However, it looks like they are particularly difficult for young women.  According to a survey of more than 800 young men and women commissioned by Demos (a think tank) and Young Invincibles (a youth advocacy group), women ages 18 to 34 are:

• less likely to to be working
• more likely to have rising debts and lower incomes
• and are less optimistic about the future than men their age. 

Part of the rationale behind the data is that women are still less likely to be employed full time than men and that old problem that doesn't seem to go away:  women who are employed earn less than men. 

LIUNA women (young and mature) are encouraged to access the resources listed in the LWC website for guidance on managing their finances.  Even when things are tough, learning tricks for stretching dollars and sound money management practices can help.