The MAPE Membership Committee is launching “Member Spotlight” in an attempt to recognize and acknowledge our members and teams of members who give up their breaks and lunch hours to do the recruiting work, which benefits all of us. We hope to recognize and thank our dedicated members for the work they do year-round, not just at Delegate Assembly time. If you know a MAPE member who is dedicated to growing our union by signing up fellow members, please let us know. We want to hear about our brothers and sisters who are taking the time to meet and talk face-to-face with new employees and existing fair shares, and helping to build their MAPE local by increasing our numbers. We are looking for members who take the initiative - those who empower others. Please include specifics! Where does she or he work? What have you observed this member doing to build the union, specifically? Numbers are helpful if you have them. We need stories! Send them to jsmith@mape.org

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For the past three years, Sharon Schmidt from MAPE Local 0701 has worked on recruiting MAPE members at the Department of Administration where she works as an acquisition management specialist (heavy equipment purchasing). She has represented MAPE at many of the Department of Administration’s orientation sessions, giving new employees an opportunity to learn more about MAPE, ask questions and sign up on the spot. This method of recruitment is effective because it is efficient, and approaches the employee while they are doing the rest of their HR paperwork anyway, rather than trying to chase them down later at their worksite.

She credits much of her interest and work for MAPE to the mentoring she received from long-time local activist Sandy Thompson. When Sharon talks with new employees and fair shares, she emphasizes voting rights as the most important reason for joining MAPE. Some other materials that she uses are the membership kits, especially the “History of MAPE” piece for folks who are brand new to unions. Sharon also includes information on local meetings, officers and stewards in the kits. Sharon says she has gained insight into recruiting fellow members using the Membership Committee’s web tools at:

www.mape.org/committees/membership/membership.asp