Thank you, George

Rhode Island labor leader George Nee announces his retirement

By Will Collette

The day after Labor Day, RI AFL-CIO President George Nee announced that he will officially retire on October 11 after a lifetime of service. While local media is focused on his prominent leadership of the state's labor movement, George has been much more than that. Like others of his era, such as famed late community organizer Henry Shelton, George was an inspired organizer dedicated to building people power at every opportunity.

George is part of a long chain of organizers who were inspired by Saul Alinsky, including George's mentor Cesar Chavez, who sought to help the powerless gain the power to have control over their lives. Part of the model was to teach others the craft of organizing, often young college kids, as well as seasoned community leaders.

I first met George in 1974 when he was staff director of the RI Workers Association (RIWA), a group similar to the unemployed councils that sprang up during the Great Depression. I was a senior at RI College and did my social work internship at RIWA. Right after I graduated, George hired me to organize in Central Falls and Pawtucket.

I wasn't very good at it, but in the process, I learned that I am good at strategic research and campaign planning. I collaborated with George on the country's first successful grassroots organizing campaign to make non-profit hospitals honor their duty to treat patients regardless of their ability to pay.

George taught me the values of helping people speak for themselves, of accountability (i.e. don't promise what you can't deliver) and the joys of being a professional troublemaker, values I carried with me for the next 30+ years.

Thank you, George, for not only giving me a start in my career, but also for the countless others you inspired. Happy retirement!