Editor's note: Carl Corry, instructor of English at Ammerman, is a new writer for The WORD starting this semester, and this inaugural column shares why he is a grateful to be a union member and happy to contribute to his union.

He reminds us that while New York is one of the most unionized states in the nation, plenty of Long Islanders don't enjoy the many benefits of union membership. We need to be grateful, yes, but we also need to fight to keep our union strong—and work to help more people join unions.

Finally, a union to call my own

My first connection to unions came early. As kids, my brother and I split time between Brooklyn with our mom and Farmingville where my grandparents bought a home on a hill in the ‘70s.

“Hey, Anna, did ya set up that appointment with the ILA?” my grandfather bellowed one day from his rocking chair in the living room to my grandmother who was in the kitchen on the opposite side of the wall cooking Sunday’s traditional Italian feast.

“Yes, Mikey, it’s all set. Next month.”

My grandfather was known as “Mikey the Bull.” He was short—about 5-foot-7 at his peak—but he had a temper and an otherworldly strength, the latter coming from lugging coffee-bean bags from ship hulls.

After he retired, grandpa ritually made treks to Brooklyn with my uncle to see his doctor.

At eight years old, I had no idea what the ILA was or why my grandfather would go that far to see a doctor, but he wouldn’t go anywhere else. I knew he was a longshoreman in Red Hook, but no one ever explained that ILA, which the family talked about often, was the International Longshoremen's Association.

I just wanted my pasta, antipasto, salad and whatever else grandma was making.

Two decades without a union

While I had gotten an early clue about unions, I spent nearly 20 years in the corporate news world without being part of one, including at News 12, Newsday, MarketWatch and Long Island Business News. The only union experience I had was during a stint as an adjunct in UUP at Stony Brook University.

At one job, the group I worked in was not part of a union while another part of the same larger team was. I heard a lot of tall tales about how our group was kept out of the union, but only one thing was clear: It left an obvious divide, and I often wanted to be on the opposite side with the cool kids.

It wasn’t until I came to SCCC in September 2017 and joined the Faculty Association that I learned the value of union membership and the immediate bond people share.

Appreciating the benefits of membership

I’ve received great advice from colleagues, especially my mentor and officemate Dan Linker, all my chairs (who are in their own union, the Guild), and the FA itself, as we are kept informed about important issues affecting our lives.

When my younger daughter unexpectedly needed special healthcare last year, unlike in previous jobs, I didn’t have to worry about breaking the bank to get her the care she needed. In fact, my wife and I kept waiting for extra bills that never came. It was covered.

As a journalist, it’s my instinct, and a necessity, that I keep out of lobbying efforts. But I greatly appreciate the people who fight on our behalf as we focus on the classroom—and I am happy to contribute to The WORD as one way to contribute to our union.

Grandpa Mikey would be proud. And it’s good to be one of the cool kids now.