‘$5 for Fight’ needs your help to help more union families

Only $26,352 left to meet needs of 6-8 calls a day

When you’re creating your Christmas giving list, please don’t forget your fellow union families who need your help this year because they’re out of work or severely underemployed and are working several jobs just to keep a roof over their family’s heads.

How to help them? With a donation of any size to the $5 for the Fight Fund.

As of September, 400 families from 73 different locals have received help. More than $86,927 has been paid from the Fight Fund to help our union families. In addition, as of September, another $21,554 has gone to help families from various United Way Funds, $4,824 from the Schnucks eScrip donations and another $2,580 in food and gas gift cards donated by various unions.

But the need continues — at the rate of six to eight calls a day — said Roz Sherman Voellinger, vice president, United Way Labor Participation Department. Several dozen requests were still being processed a press time.

“With the cold weather, people who had their utilities off during the summer suddenly need help, so our calls increase dramatically in winter,” added Amy Phillips, director of the Labor Participation Department.

However, as of this printing, there was only $26,352 left to meet the ever growing requests for help.

NEED IS NEVER-ENDING

Tragically, the need never seems to end.

Again, this year, at a time when the world celebrates the joys of Christmas and all its meanings, there are still union families who won’t be able to celebrate, won’t be able to give their children that special toy they’ve been wanting simply because what money they have must go to essentials: food, medicines, rent, utilities.

Knowing that everyone’s budget is stretched, please consider giving whatever you can afford to the Fight Fund: $1, $5, $25, $50, $100 – every donation counts!

THANK YOU

To everyone who has given, THANK YOU for your kindness of spirit and your willingness to help.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP

• Mail: Check/money order to “$5 for the Fight, c/o St. Louis Labor Council, 3301 Hollenberg Drive, Bridgeton, MO 63044; please include your union affiliation.
• Online –www.labortribune.com, click “$5 for the Fight Donations” to be taken to a secure payment site.
• Reoccurring credit card donation: go to www.labortribune.com, click “$5 for the Fight Donations” to go to a secure donations page. Check “Automatic monthly deduction” and the amount. Each month your designated donation will automatically be deducted from your credit card.
• Schnuck eScrip program is “free money” for the Fight Fund; it doesn’t cost you a penny to participate. Schnucks donates a percentage of your purchase to the Fight Fund. The amount varies as your total purchases for the month climb: one percent for the first $300, two percent from $301 – $600 and three percent from $601 – $999. We encourage everyone to consider picking up a free eScrip card at their local Schnucks. When you register your card, specify “St. Louis Labor Council-5 for the Fight (Group No. 500030665)” as that is how the fund is listed with the eScrip program.

LEVELS OF GIVING

There are now nine categories of giving:

• Apprentice – $1 to $12/ George Washington Honor Roll

• Journeyman – $13-50/Andrew Jackson Honor Roll
• Steward – $51-$99/ Ulysses S. Grant Honor Roll
• Chief Steward – $100 +/Ben Franklin Honor Roll
• Job Foreman- $500+ / William McKinley Honor Roll
• General Foreman – $1,000 +/ Grover Cleveland Honor Roll
• Major Donors – $2,500 +
• In Memoriam – to honor a loved one or friend or fellow union member.
• Organizations/Companies

The Honor Roll of donations is published the first issue of each month in the Labor Tribune.

If your gift moves you from one category to another, your name will automatically move into the appropriate honor roll.

Remember, 100 percent of your donation goes into the “Fight Fund.” All efforts to promote and service the Fund are donated by the Labor Council, the United Way and the Labor Tribune.

From a lot of grateful people, “thank you” for agreeing that “we share because we care for one another.”

Union Solidarity is alive and well. You can keep it going if you BuckUp for a Union Sister/Brother.

If you need help, $5 for the Fight Fund is there for you

If you are in need of emergency financial help, please don’t be too proud to ask for assistance. There are two ways to get help:

• Call –Union member in need of emergency assistance contacts the Labor Participation Department at United Way and leaves a message on the Labor Assistance Line @ 314-539-4189.
• Confirmation – As part of the initial conversation between the United Way Labor Liaison and the union member, the individual may be asked to call their union and ask their union representative to call Labor Liaisons to confirm that they are a union member in good standing. In some cases, certain unions prefer that the Labor Liaison call them to confirm union membership.
• Assessment – Once union membership is confirmed and needs have been assessed, the Labor Liaison will research available resources and determine if the union member has a true emergency and is eligible to receive assistance from the $5 For the Fight Fund.
• Payment – If assistance is appropriate, the Labor Liaison will request a payment from the St. Louis Labor Council’s $5 For the Fight Fund. Checks are not written to individuals in need; rather they are paid directly to the union member’s mortgage company, landlord or utility companies to prevent further action.

The need crosses all unions

To date, $5 for the Fight has gone out to members of:

AFGE Locals 104, 3354, 96; AFSCME 2730; ATF 420; ATU 788; Boilermakers 482; Bricklayers 1; Carpenters; CWA Locals 14620, 6300, 6355; Fast Food Workers; Fire Fighters 1272; and Floor Layers 1310.

Also, GCC/IBT 6-505M; GMP 182-B; IAM Locals 1345, 41, 660, 837; IAM District 9; IBEW Locals 1, 649; Insulators 1; Iron Workers Locals 392, 396; Laborers Locals 110, 218, 338, 397, 42, 44; Letter Carriers 5847; Longshoremen 1765; Meat Cutters 88; MNEA-HASP; Musicians 2-197; NARA 104; and NTEU 14.

Also, Operating Engineers Locals 148, 513, 520; Painters District Council 58; Painters 471; Plasters & Cement Masons 90; Plumbers and Pipefitters 562; Postal Workers; Roofers 2; SEIU 1; SEIU Health Care; and SMART 36.

Also, St. Louis Police Officers; Teamsters Locals 50, 525, 600, 610, 688, 245; Transport Workers; UAW Locals 110, 2250; UFCW Locals 881, 655, 88; UNITE HERE; USW Locals 1063, 1899, 3642, 50, 9014 and Utility Workers Locals 335, 640.