Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Well Done Is Better than Well Said

When representatives, stewards, and members are at their best, they’re doing a lot of action—as well as talking—for members

By Ben Timmermans, Representative

I’ve been reflecting on my work recently and what it means to be a good representative. How along with our stewards we affect change in peoples lives via our advocacy work.

To do that, I talk . . . a lot. Some days, I barely get off the phone or out of a meeting before jumping onto the next call or into another meeting which involves, you guessed it, more talking!

Whether it’s speaking with stewards, members, employers, or government, work as a union representative consists mainly of written and verbal communication. And what we say matters, because how we articulate our message could have a huge impact on members’ workplaces and their work lives.

That’s why when I recently came across the Benjamin Franklin quote, “Well done is better than well said,” it made me stop and think about the work we do. Because all we do is talk! Right?!?

That’s what I thought initially, but the more I spent time with it, the more I came to realize that when representatives, stewards, and members are at their best, they’re doing a lot of action—as well as talking—for members. Whether it was the recent strike in Manitoba, political action days at various legislatures across the country, or going to the hospital to just sit and visit with a sick or struggling member, it’s our actions that speak the loudest. And representatives and stewards take part in a lot of action as part of their work.

The best days of my job are when I get to go out to different workplaces and meet with members, help them get their issues resolved, and answer their questions. This active work is the true blessing of CLAC’s vision and mission.

To help create dignity and respect within the workplace and see it occur in real time is truly a life-giving experience. It’s what fuels my passion 14-plus years into my career.

Often, when building relationships, we do not experience the same satisfaction as those who work with their hands and see the immediate effect of what they’ve built and enjoy the experience of a job well done (like many hardworking members do!).

However, during site visits and advocacy work, it’s amazing to see the results of living out CLAC’s mission of bringing dignity to the workplace and seeing change occur in the moment. In addition to that, helping make workplaces better is hard fought at the bargaining table and in grievance meetings.

But the smaller acts of kindness and attentiveness also build that legacy of dignity. It’s also our collective actions across the country that speak to the broader Canadian political landscape of how, and why, we do labour relations.

So, the next time I’m pondering the wise words of Mr. Franklin, I know I’ll be thinking of all of the amazing actions taken by CLAC members across Canada. And I’ll be thinking, well done!

Well Done Is Better than Well Said

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