Michael F. Sabitoni, General Secretary-Treasurer of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss his path to the union and how his predecessor helped show him what a good labor leader can accomplish. He also spoke about better educational tools for members during the political cycle and how LIUNA is using a new training program to provide members with the ability to organize.
Coming up as a member of the Sabitoni family, becoming a Laborer was an obvious choice. Sabitoni talked about his family's involvement with labor and what it taught him about the importance of the labor movement. He discussed what he believes makes a good leader and why he and General President Brent Booker were set up to succeed through their great mentors.
With the large amount of misinformation being shared on social media today, Sabitoni discussed the need for a grassroots educational plan to educate members. The upcoming election should be about supporting labor and the working people. Sabitoni said union members should be able to easily access accurate information about policy and their lawmakers. To achieve that goal, he discussed what LIUNA is doing to ensure its members are ready for the November election.
To adapt to the everchanging organizing landscape, Sabitoni discussed what LIUNA is doing with Laborers Rising. He discussed the member education program to train volunteer members to organize and use their personal stories to bring in new members. Workers who share their story with other workers is the best method to recruit new members, said Sabitoni. LIUNA’s new organizer training program has him excited about the potential for the union to grow in new regions of the country.
Listen to the show above to hear more about LIUNA from Sabitoni.