Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Renewing Our Commitment to You

Though 2020 is behind us, we will succeed in overcoming this year's challenges by tackling them together

By Wayne Prins, Executive Director

In 45 B.C., Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar and declared January 1 the start of the year. He named the first month January after the Roman god Janus, who stood for new beginnings and transitions. The Romans celebrated the New Year with parties and dancing and used the occasion to dedicate themselves to treating others better in the year ahead.

It’s an interesting bit of history. But I also find it comforting to know that some of the traditions we follow today were enjoyed by generations before us.

In the same way, many of the challenges we face today, both individually and collectively, have been endured by others. Putting our current challenges in the context of broader history is the great gift of studying our past and, if done well, can serve as a source of hope and encouragement.

I don’t mean to diminish the hardships of our current challenges. There is no doubt that 2020 was an excruciating journey for many people, including many of you. And while there is reason for optimism in 2021, we need to recognize that the hardships of the past year will continue for months to come.

Whatever the future may hold, CLAC is keeping with tradition and using the start of the new year to renew our commitment to serving our members to the very best of our abilities.

We will build on the remarkable achievements we experienced in 2020, like the organization of new members and the ratifications of some of the largest agreements in our history. We will build on the momentum of having reached remarkable milestones, such as our CLAC pension plan surpassing $1 billion in total value. And we will build on the pride of having worked through incredible challenges together.

With our renewed commitment to you, our members, and with your continued support, let’s embark on the year ahead with hope and optimism, looking forward to what it brings.

Renewing Our Commitment to You

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