Opening Remarks to the ND AFL-CIO 66th Annual Convention By Missouri Slope Labor Council President Dana Hillius

Good morning.

On behalf of the Missouri Slope Central Labor council, I want to
welcome you all to the 66th North Dakota AFL-CIO constitutional
convention. For anyone that doesn’t know me, I’m Dana Hillius and I am
the President of Missouri Slope Central Labor Council here in
Bismarck. I'm also a Trustee on the executive board of the ND AFL-CIO.
The Missouri Slope Central Labor Council represents AFL-CIO unions
across the southwest and central part of the state.

I am excited to see old friends and new friends from across the state
here today.

When President Larson asked me to do the opening marks today, I said I
would, and I’m honored to do so. I do have some thoughts to share,
though, so I hope he doesn’t regret it.

My first convention was in 2011. I began participating at a young age.
I remember people like President Dave Kemnitz, and I remember first
meeting Mark Fromke, and so many others. They seemed larger than life.
Even though I had just gotten back from doing an internship in the
United States Senate, these guys impressed me as much as our US
Senators at the time, because they represented organized labor, the
working class, and no one or nothing else. See things were a bit more
rowdy at convention during some of those years. Some of you remember.
There were raised voices, there was long debate over the proper
parliamentary procedure, and important debate over what the North
Dakota AFL-CIO is and ought to be.  And you had better buy your
convention pendant or there would be hell to pay. I look
back on it fondly, but as I look back on it, just like today, they
were doing something then that was extremely important. They were,
like we are today, practicing democracy.

I’m not overdramatizing the fact that democracy is under attack in our
state and country today. Institutions we hold dearly that go back
decades or in some cases even centuries are under attack. I don’t have
to tell you the magnitude of what’s going on, you already know.
Democracy is at risk perhaps like it’s never been before.

This is why unions are so important. See, we function through
democratic procedures. Not only do we fight for workplace democracy,
we practice democracy within the governance of our unions, our labor
councils, and our state federations.

We do things the hard way, because it’s the right way. For the many,
not the few.

So here, today, I’m proud to be living free and practicing democracy
with you as we elect officers, vote on resolutions, and practice our
cherished procedures of fairness and dignity.

If we continue to show up and participate in our local unions and
allied organizations, democracy will have a fighting chance and be
alive in our workplaces, in our state, and in our country.

So, keep showing up. Go to that union meeting. Go to convention.
Volunteer for election work. Go to that demonstration. Let's stand up
for democracy in elections, the courts, our workplaces, and the
street.

I’m proud to practice democracy with you here today.

Have a great convention!

Dana Hillius, Missouri Slope Labor Council President