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Leads By Example Sitting in the Greenfield City Hall Rotunda, Dan Ewert searched for a good place to put his crutches - where they wouldn't be in the way. He finally found a spot underneath the folding chairs where he and his family sat waiting for the awards ceremony to begin.
Dan's 12-year old daughter Stephanie sat to his right, his wife Nadine was at his left. He explained that his oldest daughter, 15-year old Elizabeth, had decided to skip the ceremony because of an exhausting day at swimming practice. On this particular evening Ewert seemed to be relaxed, taking in the night's events. After all, he wasn't at City Hall as the President of Local 2 or as a District Council 48 Executive Board member. This time, Ewert and his family were guests of the Greenfield Beautification Committee. They were being recognized for having one of the summer's most beautiful landscapes in the city of Greenfield. Director of the Beautification Committee, Joan Stevens, told the group that since the committee started holding a yearly contest and passing out awards, there has been a noticeable domino effect throughout the area. "People started to look over the hedges to see what their neighbors were doing, and then they decided to make improvements in their own yards," she said. If awards were routinely given for those who lead by example, Dan Ewert would have a trophy case full. Ewert devotes a lot his spare time working for AFSCME and his community. Not for the recognition, but because he genuinely wants to make a difference in people's lives. The Ewert's understand and appreciate the sacrifice their daughters make so they can continue their union work. They know and understand the importance of service to others. After all, Dan and Nadine (also a member and activist in Local 2) were both children of active union members. They know their kids understand that the work they do is for the benefit of the community and therefore, of the family.
"AFSCME is for families," Ewert is quick to point out. "That was the theme at the AFSCME Convention in Philadelphia two years ago, and that's the message I try to emphasize to fellow members of Local 2". "Without the family support, AFSCME would not have people that are able to do what they do. I couldn't spend the time I do without the support of my family," he says. Nadine's father, Ron Bojak, was a member of the United Electrical Workers for 38-years. " I walked the picket lines with my father when I was a little girl," she said. Dan's father, Kenneth Ewert, was a member of the Communications Workers of America for 36-years. Dan remembers his father coming home from a hard days work and saying, " let's eat, I've gotta go to a Union meeting." The couple did not know one another in those days. "Unbeknown to us, we only lived about a mile away from each other (growing up)". Nadine explains. "We went to the same church, but he went away to high school in Donaldson, Indiana to a prep college seminary so that's why I didn't know of him in my high school years". They met for the first time at Milwaukee Area Technical College in 1979 where they were both enrolled as Commercial Arts students. They lived the lives of starving artist for about one year before landing jobs at an entrepreneurial company called BioChem International. It was at BioChem where the couple's relationship blossomed. Dan worked his way up from the shop floor into a position where he purchased and bought electronic components for the BioChem medical plant. After five years of climbing the corporate ladder, Dan was stunned to hear that the company was downsizing and his job would be the first to go. It was the early 80's and the economy had taken a nosedive. Nadine's job was terminated the next year. The couple was forced to drastically change their lifestyle. "We went from living in our posh condo, to living in a very, very, small one bedroom upper flat," Dan says now, with a smile. Ewert tried to build a career in electronic sales, doing basically the reverse of what he was doing at BioChem, but quickly realized that the "dog-eat-dog" world of sales was not for him.
He also got a first hand look at the plight of the unprotected worker. "When you say the school of hard knocks, I've done it all. From crawling into petroleum tanks to clean, sand blast and weld inside them, exhuming the lead gas that permeates into the steel of the tank, with no mask or breathing apparatus." He says, shaking his head. Nadine jumps in, "He only now tells me, Nadine, you do not know how many times I probably could have blown up." She laughs.At one point, just to make ends meet, Dan had to accept a job putting in vinyl flooring which only paid four dollars an hour with no benefits. Recovering from the layoffs was a learning experience that profoundly changed the couple. "When you're a young person and you're climbing up that corporate ladder, if that's what you want to call it, you think you went up three rungs, then you find out that you just got knocked down 10. It took a while (to recover)." Dan said. During that difficult time, Nadine began working as a nursing assistant, a career that lasted 15-years. Dan eventually was hired by The City of Greenfield in the Department of Public Works where he's now employed. "When Dan was hired by the city he couldn't believe the benefits and retirement system that they had to offer." Nadine said. "And this thing called the AFSCME Union. I'll never forget him coming home and telling me about this union. He was just so excited about it. He said, Nadine, the pension is great. Instead of working every other weekend and Holidays maybe we can be more of a family." Dan has now been working for the city for ten years. His job title is Operator 2, which involves building maintenance, snow removal and various other responsibilities. Nadine has also changed careers; she now works as a roving custodian for the Greendale School District. "If the union wasn't for family, I wouldn't be in the union. But the union is for my family because I need the union to keep my job at a supporting wage and benefit rate to support my family," Ewert reiterates. Dan served as the Local 2 steward for a couple of years before becoming president. He has now been the President of Local 2 for over 5-years and Nadine is on the Executive Board. He said, "I decided if I'm going to be in a union, I'm going to be part of it. I didn't like what I saw in my own work place and I figured the only way to make it better was by doing." He has been going non-stop ever since. Since becoming the President of Local 2, Dan has made a significant difference. He believes that his biggest accomplishment as President was to bring the amalgamated union (Local 2 is made up of bargaining units from all of the communities in southwest Milwaukee County) closer together and involving more members in union activities. "When I got into being President of Local 2 it was eight separate entities. There was no cohesiveness. There was nothing that brought them (the members) together," he said. When he started, only about nine people, mostly executive board members, would show up for meetings. Since then, Ewert moved the union meetings to a location more accessible to its members and began having breakfast meetings to encourage a more inviting atmosphere. He also began focusing on the similarities the eight entities had in common. The changes had a positive impact on participation. Now at a typical Local 2 meeting consists of about 20 to 30 members from various units who show up on the second Saturday of every month. Dan says he lives by the old adage, 'When good men do nothing evil prevails.' "I think that fits for the union," he says. "When good union people don't do anything to help their brothers and sister's, evil does prevail."
"It's not just good enough to pay your union dues every month. Its getting harder out there to keep the union way going because there's so many people out there that are trying to knock us down. People have got to get involved and stay involved. A few people can't do it all." Ewert has been instrumental in raising the visibility of Local 2 and he's been successful in changing the perceptions of many community members regarding what labor unions are all about. He pitched an idea to his members that he felt would be a win-win undertaking for the union and the cities where Local 2 members work. The idea was to use Local 2 treasury funds and contribute that money into the community. "I wanted to show that the union doesn't just take paychecks from the community and go home. But that we also give back to the areas where we work," Ewert said. The result was the creation of the Community Committee. The Community Committee has made an impact by helping a long list of charities and organizations meet their financial needs. The Community Committee has helped to fund groups such as girl's basketball and little league teams, Special Olympics, Franklins Fishing Jamboree, and Greenfield and Franklin's Celebration Committees. They also supplied ice cream to the kids after the July 4th parade in Greenfield, purchased a bubbler for the city of Greendale, provided a scholarship fund for Whitnall and Greenfield High School students and purchased trees for Franklin and Greenfield's Arbor Day celebrations.
Members of Greenfield's Department of Public Works even volunteered their own time to erect a Gazebo in Greenfield's Haker Park. Ewert believes, to have a good union, much like a marriage; you have to work at it. "You just can't ignore it for the whole year and then on your anniversary, call your wife and say...oh, by the way honey, happy anniversary," he joked. After 20-years, the Ewert's marriage show no signs of neglect. They've worked hard on building their family, and their union. Despite his broken leg, "I tripped over one of my lovely wife's shoes while taking out the dog in the middle of the night," Dan explains. He doesn't plan on slowing down. He was appointed by the Mayor of Greenfield to the City's Planning Commission, and was also asked by the Greenfield School Board to be a part of an Ad Hoc committee formed to assess and make recommendations regarding the condition of eight school buildings in the district. Dan and Nadine participate in many of their daughter's activities, and are members of Our Lady Of Lourdes Church. Dan Ewert has one message to convey to all union members, and that is, "Get Involved."
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© 2002 AFSCME District Council 48 Your e-mail feedback welcome!
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