3 minute read
President's Post
Counting Blessings
United, we will never stop trying to improve, inspire communities we serve
By Nick Archuleta, NDU President
As I write this column, it is the week before Thanksgiving and Christmas is just around the corner. It is that time of year when I typically spend at least some time reflecting on the year that was, count my blessings, and begin to think about the year ahead.
My blessings are many. My beautiful bride and I are fortunate to have a family that remains happy, healthy and resilient. Our daughters continue to make their mark on the world, with two of them having young families of their own. Our son will graduate high school this year and begin the next chapter of what I hope will be an exciting and fulfilling life. Our seven grandchildren are a constant source of joy (and, frankly, amusement!) as we watch them grow, learn and experience life. As president of North Dakota United, I am blessed to do work that I love on behalf of men and women that I respect and admire for their dedication to public service and their commitment to this and future generations of North Dakotans. And the fact that I get to do my work with talented staff who are equally dedicated to the success of our union is especially gratifying.
So, while I am thankful for everything good that has come my way, I am also focused on those we serve. As you know, these past two years have had an incredible impact on the work you do and how you do it. NDU’s state employees have seen open positions go unfilled, causing their workloads to increase. That issue, and the issues of ending the defined-benefit pension program and the ongoing efforts to privatize services, are of grave concern to public service providers across the state.
Our members in higher education have likewise seen dramatic cuts in personnel and other funding challenges. These challenges jeopardize the ability of these institutions to fulfill their missions and raise concerns about viability for those working in North Dakota and those contemplating a move to our state.
For K-12 educators, fights over masks, vaccines and critical race theory are not what drew them to this honorable profession. As I have traveled the state, a number of teachers and education support professionals have told me that they are seeing kids arriving at our schools with more trauma than they have seen in their careers. They have also told me that it feels like March when it is barely November.
At this point, it would be easy for one to throw up one’s hands and say, “To heck with it all!” But we won’t do that. We won’t do that because that’s not who we are. We are about serving others. We are about inspiring others to be better. We are about raising up our communities and leaving this world better than we found it.
So, while we do have challenges to deal with, we also have the opportunity to lead. When we gather in April at the NDU Delegate Assembly, a team of your fellow members will have prepared a new Strategic Plan that will guide our organization for the next few years. So far, I can tell you that I am inspired by this team, and I look forward to sharing its vision with all of you!
