By: David G. Greineder, IOM, ABC Keystone Director of Government Affairs
‘Tis the year for resolutions. As a planner, I am in the process of organizing activities and alliances for the New Year, and it is a year full of opportunities. We are well-positioned to negotiate legislation that will end discrimination in apprenticeship ratios; we are engaged in new policy issues that will bring people into the trades; and we will be influencers in the upcoming elections.
The following resolutions are my commitment to you to put forth a robust advocacy program that will keep you informed, that will share our story, and that will engage our partners. Let’s make 2020 the best year ever for ABC PA and the merit shop!
Resolution 1: Keeping You Informed
Let’s face it, the policy issues ABC PA takes on are complicated. Being an informed advocate is important to communicating our message not only to legislators, but to your employees. We are committed to utilizing our alert network more to educate members on advocacy issues along with encouraging action on key votes. As ABC PA leadership comes together in January to set the agenda for the year, we will be building-out comprehensive action plans that will include grassroots strategies, media advocacy, and other opportunities for you to engage with elected officials in their district offices. We will be rolling out these plans and adding to the government affairs section of our website accordingly in the New Year.
Resolution 2: Sharing Your Story
A critical component in communicating our message is sharing stories – and making it local. Elected officials are tuned in when we can pinpoint and quantify the good work we do and the impact we have in the local community. As we move forward, an added component to our advocacy will be “putting a face” to our legislative priorities. We need your help to be successful. Please consider lending your story, your testimony, and your experience to our issues.
Resolution 3: Forging Partnerships
We can’t do it alone. In order to advance workforce development and level the playing field for the merit shop, we need to work and strategize with like-minded partners to move the ball forward. When coalitions are built around a common goal, they are successful. I am proud to have started the process of forging and strengthening these alliances. Each of our organizations brings strengths and relationships that collectively help our goals of creating jobs and strengthening our communities.
As 2020 gets underway, there will be tremendous opportunities for engagement. One such opportunity to mark on your calendars is “ABC PA Free Enterprise Day,” which will take place on April 7, 2020. This is a time when ABC PA members come to Harrisburg to educate Legislators about our association and our legislative priorities. As we move closer to the date, you will receive more information on the day’s activities, along with a full briefing of the bills and issues to be discussed. We will overprepare you.
I look forward to an exciting and successful year. If you are not signed-up to receive email alerts, please download the “ABC Action App” from the app store on your mobile device, or at abc.org/abcaction.
January 7, 2020
