Labor 2010 Volunteer Spotlight: Peg Griffin

Peg Griffin, an IBEW 292 electrician, has a history of activism starting from high school when she organized a women’s awareness group that advocated for women’s rights in North Dakota where she grew up. Currently, she is release staff for Labor 2010 at the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation and IBEW. She is a shining star that is helping to identify union volunteers and get out the vote to union members for Dayton this election season.

Peg was originally recruited as release staff for Labor 2008 in Minneapolis. She started by doorknocking on union members’ doors, then was moved to dispatching, which is putting together the doorknocking packets and routes for teams that go out. She then mastered data entry, and began training others for data entry. She ran IBEW phonebanks that helped to win the historic 2008 election.

Peg splits her time as release staff for Labor 2010 and recruiting volunteers for IBEW events, from Labor 2010 phonebanks, IBEW picnics, to Habitat for Humanity. Peg believes that the union is a family, and wants union members to become involved in their union. She also knows that unions are going to be defined by the young members in the years to come, “We have to start meeting young workers’ needs to bring them in.” For example she adds, “We should develop a program for day care centers while parents are doing phone banks.”

When phone banking, Peg listens and responds to the union member with whom she is talking. She asks them if they are working and what is important to them. Sometimes she runs into union members who are “pretty disillusioned about everything. I tell them don’t listen to the crap the other side is saying.” Mark Dayton will work for working families, which means putting people back to work with at $1 Billion bonding bill, protecting pensions, or making sure our kids have quality public education. He will go anywhere to save and create jobs for Minnesotans.

If you are interested in volunteering with the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, please contact Anna Brelje at 612-802-9880.