Mentorship
IUE-CWA Next Generation Mentorship Program
Participant Application for Class of 2023
(April 2023-April 2024)
IUE-CWA Mentorship Program – Now Accepting Applications.
What: The Mentorship Program is an opportunity to provide leadership development skills and experience to our next generation of union leaders.
Who: All IUE-CWA locals are invited to have members from their local apply to the program. Members who apply must be nominated by their local. Locals may nominate more than one person from their local for the program. Details on how to apply are enclosed.
Deadline: All applications must be received by Friday, February 24, 2023.
How to get an application: Digital Application and Local Endorsement Form
Further details about the program
IUE-CWA is currently seeking the next class of newer members to become participants in this exciting program.
Benefits of this program include:
- One-on-one training from experienced union leaders;
- A national-level view of union democracy in action;
- Participation in exciting union events held throughout the country.
Each month, these future leaders will engage with labor’s past, its present, and its path forward using tools like labor movies, speakers, Facebook, and discussion groups. On four occasions, the Union will bring the participants together at one of IUE-CWA’s many national meetings or trainings. Ultimately, they will learn to become active in their own locals and in their own communities. More importantly, they will have the opportunity to take part in shaping the future of the IUE-CWA and the broader labor movement.
As you will read in the description, there is no set age requirement, but we are looking to identify newer members who want to get involved and might not otherwise get the opportunity to participate in a program of this kind. More information on the requirements of the program is on the attached forms.
Applicants must be endorsed by their local (locals may endorse more than one applicant) and applications must be received Friday, February 24, 2023. We look forward to this opportunity to meet the best and brightest future leaders from our locals, and to ensure that the future of our movement is in good hands.
In Solidarity,
Carl Kennebrew, IUE-CWA President
Overview:
Engaging younger workers in our local unions and in the larger labor movement can be a challenge. The engagement problem is more difficult in manufacturing facilities where there can be years between hiring periods, leading to an age gap between lower and higher seniority employees. The lack of younger worker engagement impacts the ability of local unions, and the labor movement as a whole, to be effective and mobilized. Sometimes we even have problems finding members to run for office as higher seniority members retire.
In order to rise to meet this challenge, the IUE-CWA has created our innovative Mentorship Program to identify potential future activists and provide them with awareness of union history and issues and concrete skills training. We are currently seeking newer members to become “mentees” and participate in this exciting program.
This program will pair participants with established local leaders for a year-long labor mentorship and labor education program. The program will use mostly telephone, email and Facebook to connect mentors and mentees, but will include four travel assignments as well, pandemic permitting. Participants can expect to attend national union events, meet experienced labor leaders, learn union skills, help build a community of newer labor leaders, discuss labor articles and films, and enjoy special training and advancement opportunities. Applicants’ lost time, travel and material expenses will be covered by the IUE-CWA. Please visit our website, www.iue-cwa.org for additional information on the program.
Mentee Requirements:
- There is no set age limit, but applicants should be among our “next generation” members,
- Applicants must have been a union member for at least one year.
- Applicants must be willing to travel four times over the next year for meetings (pandemic permitting), with plenty of advanced notice to schedule.
- Applicants must be willing to spend four to six hours per month of uncompensated personal time on the program.
- Applicants must have regular access to email and internet.
- Preference will be given to members who are not officers, and who have never attended a national meeting or training.
- Women and people of color are especially encouraged to apply.
- Applications must include an endorsement from the applicant’s local.
Locals may endorse more than one candidate. Locals must agree to pay mentee lost time and per diem to participate in meetings, and be reimbursed by the International.
All applications must be received by Friday, February 24, 2023