Welcome to another edition of The Spotlight, a special segment inside the Grit NW Podcast where we acknowledge individuals, networks and groups that go above and beyond to aid and lend support to better the lives of union members around our region.
On the show today we meet Harold Phillips and Shannon Myers, from the Working to Live in Southwest Washington Podcast.
Harold and Shannon recently invited me onto their show to talk about our regional council’s holiday toy drive.
Their latest episode titled, Labors Helping Hands for the Holidays… and All Year Round, highlights different labor groups from our area that are stepping up to help our communities.
I will post that link as well as the link to Harold and Shannon’s podcast in the show notes.
Grit NW is a proud member of the Labor Radio/Podcast Network.
Be sure to visit their site in order to expand your base of educational and inciteful labor and working-class related issues.
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Joe Cadwell:
Hey Siri, play Grit Northwest.
Siri:
Okay, a carpenters union podcast coming up.
Joe Cadwell:
Welcome to another edition of the spotlight a special segment inside the Grit Northwest podcast where we acknowledge individuals networks and groups that go above and beyond the aid and lend support for better lives of union members around our region. On the show today we meet Harold Phillips and Shannon Meyers from the working to live in Southwest Washington podcast. Harold and Shannon recently invited me onto their show to talk about our regional councils holiday toy drive. Their latest episode titled Labour's helping hands for the holidays, and all year round highlights different labor groups from our area, they're stepping up to help our communities. Grit Northwest is a proud member of the Labour Radio Podcast Network, be sure to visit their site in order to expand your base of educational and insightful labor and working class related issues. And now onto the show.
Harold Phillips:
Next, we've got Joe Cadwell. He's the president of the Northwest carpenters union. And he's actually the host of a podcast himself, Grit Northwest. Thanks for joining us, Joe.
Joe Cadwell:
Thanks for having me on your show.
Harold Phillips:
So tell us a little bit about Grit Northwest, where can our audience find it? And what's it about?
Joe Cadwell:
The easiest way to find Grit Northwest is to go to buildnw.org/podcast. You can also find it on Spotify and Apple podcast and all the usual host for your podcast by just searching Grit NW. I started it in early September. And I had just come up with the concept after having been reelected to the position of council president. And I realized that my role should probably expand beyond running a monthly eboard meeting and a quarterly delegate meeting. And in a COVID sort of environment that we live in. I wanted to be able to reach out and get information to our members and I thought a podcast would be a great way to do it. I've never done podcasting before. I love podcasts. I enjoy listening to podcasts, but really had no experience. And when I told my wife what I was up to, she just kind of gave me that luck and shook her head. And we said, well, we'll see where this goes. And like most things I like to do, I jump in with both feet. And it's been a really fun ride. Now I think I've just posted yesterday my 23rd episode of The listenership is growing every week, and every month it just continues to grow. Wow,
Shannon Meyers:
great minds think alike. Because, you know, we started our podcast probably right around the same time. And our whole concept again, was this COVID thing. How do we reach our members? How do we reach our community? How do we reach people? So you know, you're pretty smart, just like Harold and I.
Joe Cadwell:
I agree. I listened to your show the other day and got some of your backstory. And that's really cool. How you guys came up with the concept for your show as well. And being right across the river from each other go big.
Harold Phillips:
So, Joe, you are right across the river from us. Northwest carpenters doesn't just cover Southwest Washington. It also covers other states as well, right?
Joe Cadwell:
That is correct. We are a sixth state Regional Council. We cover all of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Alaska. We're one of 25 regional councils that belong to the greater Carpenter union known as the UBC we've been a labor organization since 1881. So we're coming up on 140 years, and we also represent half a million members across the US and Canada. Our particular Regional Council has 29,000 members representing seven different crafts and approximately 26 different locals.
Harold Phillips:
So tell us about this toy drive that you folks are doing.
Joe Cadwell:
The toy drive is actually in its 22nd year, and it started when my boss Mike Hawes, who is now the Training Center Director over at the Pacific Northwest carpenters Institute was actually working for the Regional Council at that time, and he was a union rep and came up with the concept. very humble beginnings. I talked to him about the holiday drive just this morning. And he was impressed that how far it had gone and how much it grown and the amount of joy and goodwill that it is bringing not only to our carpenters children but to children in the community as well. And we are actively recruiting right now for toys and cash donations for any of the listeners that would like to give to the organization and within our organization. Again, we focus on Carpenter families, you know, initially and then we also reach out into the community with some of our additional toys and those go to groups such as the Portland Fire Department toy enjoy makers, the doernbecher Children's Hospital, Toys for Tots, blazers, l binah. Head Start classrooms classroom and the labor community service agency. So yeah, it's a wonderful thing this time of year to help families that may be struggling financially, especially this year with COVID The after effects of some of the large fires, we had definitely put a hurting on some of our members ability to provide for themselves and their families.
Harold Phillips:
Well, it's amazing that you're spreading the joy, even outside of your union to these other organizations. So if people want to donate to the toy drive, how would they do that?
Joe Cadwell:
There's two ways. The easiest way would be to contact our Portland office at 503-261-1862 if you're listening in Southwest Washington and Portland area, and if you're up listening a little further up in Kent, we have our main Regional Council office and their number is 253-945-8803. And when you get hold of someone on the phone, tell them you'd like to donate to the holiday toy drive. The key person in charge of this Melvin Norman from our carpenters union, and his phone number is 971-260-7784. And Melvin is very happy to talk to you to get you the information you need to figure out the best way you can donate to the holiday toy drive.
Harold Phillips:
That is fantastic. Joe, I am so glad that you carpenters are putting this on that you're taking in these donations and that you're reaching out into the community one more time How can they find your podcast again?
Joe Cadwell:
easiest way was to just ask Siri or Alexa or Google to play Grit Northwest. I always love that. You can also just google search Grit Northwest carpenters union podcast, or you can go to buildnw.org/podcast. My episodes are intended to educate, inform and inspire people to appreciate their unions and to protect what we have as union workers
Harold Phillips:
and they do a great job.
Shannon Meyers:
love their union. I love my union. I wish more people would love their union. That's a great idea. I like it.
Harold Phillips:
Thanks so much for joining us, Joe. We really appreciate it.
Joe Cadwell:
Thank you and happy holiday. Our spotlight today has been on the northwest carpenters union holiday toy drive, courtesy of Harold and Shannon from working to live in Southwest Washington podcast. If you know an individual or group that would be a good candidate for the spotlight, send an email to grid nw@gmail.com Be sure to include their contact information and how they have contributed to better our organization. And if you haven't already done so please take a moment to join Britton nation by clicking on the hyperlink in the show notes. You'll be kept up to date on special offers and promotions only available to great nation members. You'll also be entered to win an official I've got great t shirt when you do and if you'd like today's episode, please be sure to share it with a friend or family member or co worker. Well that wraps up this edition of the spotlight. Till next time this is Joe Cadwell reminding you to work safe, work smart and stay union Trump