A picture of me in case you forgot who I am.

     Here's a picture of me in case you couldn't remember who Chad Simmons was.  I ask for your support for Vice President.  Thank you for your time.  It has been a pleasure working with you all.  I will work hard for you as VP.

      This was at Crater Lake back in August.  It was cold.

Campaign Letter to Members (which cost me approx. $.50 per member!)

As a relatively new member you may be surprised to see my name on the ballot at all and you may question my motivation for seeking office.

I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and for years I hoped to move to Portland.  Part of the reason it took so long to make that jump was because I had a great job as a Production Technician for the Las Vegas-Clark County Library.  I worked as a stagehand for the district for several years helping to start a non-profit organization for which I became president.  This non-profit partnered with the library district to develop an ongoing free film festival for the community and received funding through the Nevada Arts Council through my grant writing skills. 

In a leap of faith I moved with all my belongings to Portland realizing that the job market would prove to be difficult.  I recall that first year sitting in the Park Blocks outside the Schnitz wondering how I could get a job inside that building.

I eventually got a job at the Oregon Convention Center (OCC).  The transition from dream job to a slightly above minimum wage job was rough.  I did a great deal of thinking about what I should be looking for from work instead of merely seeing it as a necessary evil.  Along with financial concerns I also had respect issues with the OCC.  Added to this was my motivation to work for an organization that has a positive impact on the community and society at large.  I began to wonder if maybe I had gone into the wrong field as I did not get much satisfaction from my work at the OCC and just where would I find such satisfaction in Portland or anywhere?   

It wasn’t until I started taking calls through the Local that I found a renewed pride in my work that was absent since my time at the library.  Aside from the obvious benefits the union provides I have long wanted to support the deeper values that union supports.

If you want the union to be better you have to stand up and work hard to make the union better.  The union is based on people so it’s not perfect.  The truth is the union is what you make of it.  I am passionate in my commitment to make the union better for members by maintaining open communication and transparency in terms of policy and by accepting responsibility for the future direction of the union. 

I have long had my doubts about the machinations of the system at large.  Being a union member helps me to sleep at night knowing that I am involved in an organization with a mission to better the lives of workers, even those workers who are not members.  I am willing to share my experience and knowledge in regards to benefits we are all entitled to within this system.  In addition to this we need an informed leadership who can keep us aware of our options in this time of sweeping change in terms of health insurance.  As a recipient of the reimbursement program I can bring a fresh perspective to a problem I expect will only get more complicated. 

I thank you for your time.  It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with all of you.  I hope only the best for our union in the next three years.

Fraternally

Chad Simmons

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or advice. 

Chad Simmons

253 N. Broadway #304

Portland, Oregon 97227

Email: chadarad@hotmail.com

Phone: 503-901-8845

For more information please go to:

http://chadforvp.blogspot.com/

Letter to the body accepting nomination for VP

Chad Simmons

253 N. Broadway #304 

Portland, OR 97227

I.A.T.S.E. Local 28

Portland, Oregon

Greetings,

         I am writing this letter in the event that I am unable to attend the October 12, 2010 meeting in which we will be accepting nominations for office for our local.

       If any member were to nominate me for office I would graciously accept.  I am interested specifically in the office of Vice President or a seat on the
Executive board.

       October 6 of this year I turned 39 years old.  For the last year I have done a great deal of soul searching in regards to my future.  I have enjoyed all my years spent as a stagehand.  I have learned a lot and know there is yet more to learn. 

    Working as a member of Local 28 has brought to me a wide range of accomplishments for which I am most proud as well as more than a few tragedies from which I have struggled to understand and learn. 

I’ve made no secret of my attempts to seek out more schooling in the hopes of providing new opportunities which could in fact take me on a different career path.  After much reflection I’ve come to the conclusion that the union may be the only legitimate organization in which I fit in and for which I am willing to devote a large portion of my life.  I can be sure it will provide an equal measure of triumph and tragedy as long as I am committed to it. 

I understand the level of commitment a position such as this will demand.  In all honesty I need something like this in my life.  I did not join the union solely on the basis of earning a better wage and getting benefits.  Working for the union has provided me with one of the few opportunities to do something I love while also supporting one of the few organizations that makes a difference in social justice.   

I have a degree in Communication Studies with an emphasis on rhetoric and the building of solid arguments.  I founded and was president of a non-profit organization still in operation today in Southern Nevada.  I know I can provide the resolve and sensibility to keep the union strong and help the union to grow in this time of transition.   

        I thank you brothers and sisters for your time and wish only the best for our local in the coming year.

                                                                                                Fraternally,                                                                                     Chad Simmons