Welcome to Union Stronger, a quarterly newsletter created for the Taft-Hartley community. Each issue will bring you a mix of information and inspiration designed to keep union leaders and trustees, fund administrators, and union industry partners informed and engaged.
Taft-Hartley Trivia
Test your knowledge of the Taft-Hartley world
What is the oldest labor union in the U.S.?
The Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers (shoemakers) is the oldest trade union organization in the country. It was founded in 1794 in Philadelphia.
What significant union event occurred in Chicago in 1894? In 1894, 250,000 Pullman railroad line workers organized a strike to protest wages and treatment. President Grover
Cleveland sent in federal troops to prevent strikers from obstructing the trains, which led to fights and dozens of deaths. American Railway Union leaders were arrested for ignoring a federal injunction prohibiting a strike and this led to the breaking of the strike and the union.
What is the largest private labor union in the U.S. and Canada? The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) is the largest with approximately 1.3 million members, followed by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) with 1.2 million members, and the United Auto Workers (UAW) with close to 1 million members.
What is the largest public labor union in the U.S.? The National Education Association (NEA) has approximately 3 million members, followed by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) with about 2 million, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), with 1.4 million members.
A Growing Community
New client welcomes
Welcome to our new union partners who have joined Marathon Health this year! We’re thrilled to have you as part of our community of organizations dedicated to transforming healthcare.
IASTE Local 30
Inland Empire Electrical Workers Welfare Trust
Ironworkers Local 1
Northwest Sheet Metal Workers
Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 486
Hardhat Health
Health information that can impact you and your family
Sugar – Not as Sweet as it Sounds
by Michael White, Director of Sales Support at Marathon Health
The only nutritional rule that I followed growing up was that the food I ate had to taste sweet or salty. Dessert was enjoyed at lunch and dinner, and any sweets leftover became breakfast the next day. Coke and Pepsi were my substitutes for water.
I did not realize that my diet was a problem until I entered the Army at 18. Without access to the sugary foods that I was accustomed to, I developed cravings that led to sneaking Snicker bars into my boots so I could enjoy them later at night – a strict barracks violation! But it was only much later in life that I began to understand and appreciate how my diet was even more important than my regular exercise routine. Gradually I made changes, encouraged by lab results that warned of high blood sugar and blood pressure.
The more I learned about nutrition, the more changes I made to my diet. Unfortunately, my dad never made changes to his food and beverage choices. He was a sugar addict. After more than a decade of suffering from Type II diabetes, he had to choose between death or having a leg amputated. Sadly, for his family, he chose to die.
Family members of mine have enjoyed long careers as union pipefitters. They are no different than the tradesmen that I work with or the guys I grew up with. They are invincible until they’re not, and then it’s often too difficult to change or too late to make a difference. Don’t be that guy. Make conscious choices about every food and beverage you consume. Ask yourself if it will do more harm than good. Soda or water? Fries or vegetables? Asking the question will help you make healthy decisions.
Getting Your Sweet Fix
✅ Choose whole foods whenever possible: If you’re craving something sweet, snacking on fruit may curb your craving.
✅ Keep your portion – of whatever sweetener you choose – small: When you do indulge, try to limit your portion. A bowl of ice cream or a can of diet soda once in a while is unlikely to do much harm, but a pint of ice cream or six diet sodas a day isn’t advisable.
✅ Skip the processed sugar-free alternatives when possible: For example, instead of reaching for a packaged diet iced tea with an unknown amount of aspartame, opt for the unsweetened version and sweeten it to your taste with your sweetener of choice. Or instead of a diet soda, try a flavored seltzer water with a bit of juice or your sweetener of choice. This way you can control how much sweetener you use and choose the one that’s best for your goals.
The Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America provides helpful articles, called “Lifelines,” on a variety of Health and Safety subjects. View the full archive here and read more on the truth about sugar in “Sweet Without the Sugar: Too Good to be True?” by Hannah Sabitoni.
Who Said It?
Match the Quote with the Author
How well do you know the historical friends and foes of Labor? Answers at the bottom of the newsletter.
“If any man tells you he loves America, yet hates labor, he is a liar. If any man tells you he trusts America, yet fears labor, he is a fool.”
The strike was the best thing that ever happened. It changed our lives. We overcame bigotry, didn’t we...I know it was a turning point in my life.”
The union taught me how to fight for what I needed and what I had, and if it was something I wanted, how to go after it.”
Hattie Canty, (1933-2012) first Black woman elected president of the Culinary Workers Union, called one of the greatest strike leaders in U.S. history
Sue Ko Lee, (1910-1996) Chinese American garment worker and labor activist
Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. President
Health Hacks
Lifestyle behaviors for increasing your “healthspan,” or period of life when you are in good health and free from significant chronic diseases or disabilities.
From the book, “Eat Move Sleep” by Tom Rath, consider the healthy eating behaviors below that you already practice or want to make part of a healthier lifestyle. Find more healthy hacks focused on moving and sleeping in upcoming Union Stronger newsletters.
Eating
Ask yourself if the next food you put in your mouth is a net gain or a net loss. Repeat throughout the day.
Avoid foods above a ratio of 5:1, grams of carbohydrates to grams of protein.
Identify the sugar content in your favorite meal or snack, if it’s more than 10 grams, find a replacement.
Build your meals around fruits and vegetables today to change the expression of your genes tomorrow.
Replace chips, crackers, and snack bars with nuts, seeds, apples, celery and carrots.
When you are offered complimentary bread with a meal, ask for a healthy alternative or simply pass.
Eliminate one type of red or processed meat from your diet for good (like bacon or hot dogs).
Use smaller cups, plates, and serving sizes to eat less.
Pick one food you eat though you know you shouldn’t. Give it an entertaining nickname (The Union Thinker’s suggestions: “Bypass Burger” or maybe “Heart Dog”) that will make you think twice about eating it.
When you want a quick snack, take a handful and leave the bag or box behind.
Answers to Who Said It?
1-c, 2-b, 3-a
Union Stronger is produced by the Taft-Hartley Growth team at Marathon Health. The team is dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of Taft-Hartley members and their families with advanced primary care services that improve health and reduce healthcare costs.
