What I’m saying, doing and thinking

Upcoming Events

May 12, 2018
Seattle WA
OPCMIA Local 528 Apprenticeship Orientation

May 15, 2018
San Jose CA
UA Local 393

May 19, 2018
Detroit MI
Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters

May 23, 2018
San Francisco CA
California Pipe Trades Annual Convention

June 2, 2018
Seattle WA
SPEEA National Leadership Conference

June 5, 2018
Seattle WA
Real Change Newspaper

June 20, 2018
Dubuque IA
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 11th District Annual Progress Meeting

July 9, 2018
Portland OR
Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 16

August 17, 2018
Vancouver WA
NW Carpenters Delegate Meeting

October 2, 2018
Everett WA
Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 66

October 12, 2018
Seattle WA
Ironworkers’ ‘Women Build Nations 2018’

What I’ve done this year

New workshop: “Fighting for Our Democracy and Our Future in the Age of Trump”

I launched this new interactive workshop last year to inspire and help activists and concerned union and community members to be more effective in fighting the Trump regime and its allies. We need to understand that our ancestors faced the “divide and conquer” strategies and strategic use of racism, sexism, homophobia and immigrant bashing by Corporate America and its allies. Learning from the past makes us more effective today. Click here to view presentation.

“Your inspirational message to our delegates was educational and thought provoking.” – Lonnie Stephenson, International President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

“Your presentation was impressive. We will be in touch.” – Richard Lanigan, International President, Office of Professional Employees International Union

“Great job yesterday, everyone was impressed.” – Steve Pendergrass, President, Iron Workers District Council of the Pacific NW

“Your presentation and workshop were very powerful.” – Christina Brock, Assistant Business Manager, IBEW Local 213, British Columbia

Making the American Dream Real for Everyone

This presentation focuses on the rise and fall of unions and our allies over the past 125 years in our fight to share fairly in the wealth we produce and build a more just and equitable country, and how we can rebuild or power.

Video: “Making Retirement Security Real for Everyone” @ WA State Labor Council Convention

Check out my speech on the nationwide campaign to defend and expand retirement security, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid:

These great programs, which benefit hundreds of millions of Americans, are under relentless attacks by the Trump regime and their Republican and corporate allies. I work with a great organization, Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action (PSARA) which is leading this fight in Washington state. Check out our website, PSARA.ORG, and join the organization. It is only $20 and you get a great monthly newsletter. Please donate more.

If you are a member of an organization that would like a presentation or workshop on this important issue, please reach out to me or our organizer, Mike Andrew, at organizer@psara.org or (206) 261-8110.

I would love feedback on this video.

In the news: “Labor’s future in the age of Trump”

The Northwest Labor Press wrote me up this month in “Labor’s Future In the Age of Trump” (June 7, 2017), writing:

At union conventions, apprenticeship classes, and public forums, McDermott delivers a message: Working people need to understand and learn from history, both the good and the bad, if they want to rebuild the labor movement and take the country back.

Newsletter #3 Published

My third newsletter is a compilation of analysis and tactical solutions to aid in our struggle in strengthening democracy and building a more just, equitable and sustainable world. My central argument is that the Trump regime with Republicans would escalate their years-long efforts to suppress voting to steal future elections. Check it out and subscribe now!

Here are newsletters #1 and #2.

The theft of the next election is already under way

If you care about the right of the people to fairly choose our elected officials, you should be paying close attention to these systematic efforts: The theft of the next election is under way.

The Democratic Party is losing the working class

Understanding why is the key to rebuilding a populist progressive movement. This was published recently in the The Stand, The Democratic Party is losing the working class

Scroll down or use the links above to find out about upcoming events, endorsements, and more. If you want to connect please email me or visit my Facebook page.

Fighting for Our Democracy and Our Future in the Age of Trump

Dear Union Sisters and Brothers and Community Allies:

I have presented 290 inspiring, energizing and educational speeches, workshops and trainings for many of you and your unions and community based organizations over the past 5+ years.  Today the Trump regime and its corporate and political allies are attacking the very foundations of our democracy and many of our hard-won freedoms and rights.  These threats also create a great opportunity for our movement and other progressive movements if we seize this historic moment and move forward.  As Benjamin Franklin said in the dark days of our Revolution: “We will either all hang together or we will surely hang separately.”  What we do with this truth is our choice.

On April 15, 2017, I launched a new interactive workshop “Fighting for Our Democracy and Our Future in the Age of Trump.”  This is not the first time in our history when working people and our allies faced a hostile federal government and many state governments dominated by corporate power.  From the late 19th century through the early 1930s, working people and our allies faced national and state governments dominated by overwhelming corporate power.  What can we learn from their successes and failures during these hard times?  Will we avoid many of their critical mistakes?  This is our choice.

The great lesson from that period is:  When we were united, we moved forward; when we were disunited, we went backward.  This workshop focuses on our movement’s historic opportunity to build greater internal unity and greater unity with other movements than ever before.  In doing so, we can beat back these attacks, fight forward, and take our country back.

Creating a unity of vision, values, program and action is never easy.  Understanding the corporate power of divide and conquer is crucial.  History is a hard teacher.  If we fail to build this needed unity, our history gives us many examples of what went tragically wrong for our movement and the people.

I would love to present this new interactive workshop to your union or organization.  Discussing these issues can inspire your activists and members to help build our unity and power.

In solidarity and friendship.

Mark

Endorsements

He is one of the best at informing and motivating

He presents a unique perspective from a historical point of view by comparing labor’s modern day challenges with the overwhelming challenges of workers’ organizing efforts in the 19th and 20 th centuries. His personal story of how he became a union activist makes for a very interesting and compelling discussion about not only the labor movement but activism in general. I have attended more conferences and listened to more speakers than I can count in my 43 years in the IBEW. Many were interesting and informative but very few as compelling as Mark. He is one of the best at informing and motivating.

Don Siegel, IBEW 3rd District International VP, Pennsylvania

2017-01-24T15:52:58+00:00

Don Siegel, IBEW 3rd District International VP, Pennsylvania

He presents a unique perspective from a historical point of view by comparing labor’s modern day challenges with the overwhelming challenges of workers’ organizing efforts in the 19th and 20 th centuries. His personal story of how he became a union activist makes for a very interesting and compelling discussion about not only the labor movement but activism in general. I have attended more conferences and listened to more speakers than I can count in my 43 years in the IBEW. Many were interesting and informative but very few as compelling as Mark. He is one of the best at informing and motivating.

I strongly recommend Mark

Mark inspired and electrified our Region 9 leadership conference with a clear message of how we, as organized labor and working people, can once again lead our nation toward greater justice and security for all. I strongly recommend Mark to any union wanting to inspire and educate their leaders and activists about the road forward.

Cindy Estrada, International Vice President, United Auto Workers Union

2017-01-24T15:56:34+00:00

Cindy Estrada, International Vice President, United Auto Workers Union

Mark inspired and electrified our Region 9 leadership conference with a clear message of how we, as organized labor and working people, can once again lead our nation toward greater justice and security for all. I strongly recommend Mark to any union wanting to inspire and educate their leaders and activists about the road forward.

We get a sense of optimism and hope

What is most valuable about Mark’s workshops is the recognition that as we remember our history, we get a sense of optimism and hope that when we come together and focus on what we have in common, rather than what divides us, we can overcome seemingly impossible odds and make progressive change.

Jeff Johnson, President, Washington State Labor Council

2017-01-24T15:58:03+00:00

Jeff Johnson, President, Washington State Labor Council

What is most valuable about Mark’s workshops is the recognition that as we remember our history, we get a sense of optimism and hope that when we come together and focus on what we have in common, rather than what divides us, we can overcome seemingly impossible odds and make progressive change.

When we were flat broke Mark did another free workshop for us

It is unbelievable that when we were flat broke, Mark did another free workshop for us and we got more financial and community support for our struggle to organize farm workers. The audience was energized with the will to fight on and we raised money to help us continue to move forward.

Ramon Torres, President, Familias Unidas Por La Justicia (independent farm worker union), Bellingham WA

2017-04-26T21:02:17+00:00

Ramon Torres, President, Familias Unidas Por La Justicia (independent farm worker union), Bellingham WA

It is unbelievable that when we were flat broke, Mark did another free workshop for us and we got more financial and community support for our struggle to organize farm workers. The audience was energized with the will to fight on and we raised money to help us continue to move forward.

What are others saying about my work?