Seriously — 300 women practicing mindfulness exercises then moving on to how to win an election. Equally as surprising was the response of the UAW women to the NWU books and display. There had never been books set up in this way before at the conference. A Union sister Brigid O'Farrell prodded and promoted me to go. She has a naked for conceptualizing things that I might be able to execute. I carried my wheelie bag of NWU display materials with me. The Librarian responsible for the UAW library was gracious and received the books from various NWU sources by mail and I only had to set them up . Also, we of the NWU provided books for one of the gift baskets that was raffled off. My Gosh — people were vying to get that basket! I have never seen such an enthusiastic response to reading and books — to information--period. Well, unless it was perhaps in my Aunt Joy -- who was a Union Heavy equipment operator for much of her adult life.
A remarkable group of women not to mention Dottie Jones, a retired member of the UAW ( of which there are 1/2 million in that category.) Dottie was the chief administrator of the the UAW Presidents office — she worked her way up from the floor and has been mentoring women ever sense. She has also been a UAW Union member for 50 plus years. and is perhaps the most progressive woman I've ever known and I've known a few. Vice President Cindy Estrada is all of that and more. But trust me it wasn't always work. There was a lot of laughing and singing going on as well.
The women of the UAW are smart, funny, hard working, inquisitive and I suspect more than a few of them will be running for public office n the near future. They are looking forward to the next book in the Chasing Mercury Series and in seeing more books from the National Writers Union next year.