Office manager Martha E. Kelley has worked with the Labor Education Program in the UI School of Labor and Employment Relations for eight years. She started as a temporary worker at the College of Medicine before being hired as a full-time employee there. Her main responsibility at LEP is setting up the annual on-campus training programs for area union members and leaders.
IS SUMMER A SLOW TIME OR AN ACTIVE ONE FOR YOUR OFFICE?
This is my busiest time of the year. When the ‘normal’ students are gone we (the Labor Education Program) run summer schools for some of the local unions, including United Steelworkers District 7 (Illinois and Indiana) and the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Council 31 (Illinois). It’s the 65th year the steelworkers have trained here. We also have the Grievance Arbitration for Unions conference, which is open to all unions. In all, we see about 450 people over the course of the six, weeklong summer training programs. Right now I have two already done and under my belt.
WHAT KIND OF UNION TRAINING IS OFFERED?
They teach labor history, collective bargaining, communication, arbitration, Web design – you name it. It’s everything from civil rights to grievance handling to politics – and they offer a variety of more intensive study. They each have their own histories, which are very rich. Most of the program educators are with the unions, but sometimes we have faculty members who speak or teach on a specific topic.
WHAT IS IT YOU DO TO HELP WITH THE SUMMER TRAINING PROGRAMS?
We arrange for catering, we help provide housing – just about anything needed to make sure everyone is happy and comfortable. I try to make them comfortable while they’re here – this place can be a little intimidating if you’re not used to it. For five of the summer schools we have a picnic at the end of every week. I’ll hire a handful of graduate students and they do a lot of the day-to-day intensive labor. I couldn’t possibly handle everything.
WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB?
I love many parts of my job, but I get a satisfaction from working with working people. They’re motivated and really driven. I have a lot of contact with the education coordinators for these different unions and I run as fast as I can to keep up with them. And the faculty members I work for are all really dedicated and creative people. I feel very honored to work with these people. It feels good to know that every piece of paper that I shuffle makes life better for someone else.
AND THE MOST DIFFICULT PART?
Keeping up with all of the changing university policies. It can be pretty daunting because my work has me cross over a lot of different responsibilities. I do some human resources and purchasing and it seems like every part of my job has policies that change regularly.
UNION REPRESENTATION HAS DIMINISHED IN RECENT YEARS. HOW, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, DO YOU SEE THAT EVIDENCED?
As the numbers shrank they’ve had fewer financial resources. But I think they’re more committed than ever to learn everything they can and to keep moving forward. The people who come here are energized.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED IN THE EIGHT YEARS YOU’VE WORKED WITH UNIONS?
There’s just so much. I’ve really learned the value of quality work and I’ve developed a real appreciation for diversity. I’ve met some people, ordinary people, who have done some remarkable things. I’ve seen the power and results they can get from getting together and working in unison.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM ORIGINALLY AND DOES YOUR FAMILY HAVE OTHER UI CONNECTIONS?
We’re originally from Dearborn, Mich. My father, Clemens Glotzhober, was a horticulturist by education (Michigan State) and worked as a chemist in the food industry. I have a sister and brother-in-law who were professors at the UI. My daughter, Ricki Alford, works in office support at the Institute for Genomic Biology. Her husband, Josh, is the women’s soccer coach at Parkland College. I just became a grandmother after they had a daughter, Nico, on June 8.
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU’RE NOT LABORING?
I have a motorcycle, a 2007 Harley-Davidson Nightster, and I also love gardening. I started developing an interest in motorcycles a little over 10 years ago. My father (who died in January at 92) passed on his love of plants to me. During World War II he was the master gardener in charge of the victory garden in Dearborn. My brother and sister are currently working on offering a UI liberal arts scholarship in his name. He taught me a lot about gardening, but mostly he taught me, ‘If you’re interested in something, go and learn everything you can about it.’ When I moved to Illinois I was fascinated by the wildflowers around here. I’m currently trying to get the feel of an old-fashioned cottage garden (at my home in Rantoul).
WITH THE SUMMER BEING A BUSY PERIOD, WHAT HAPPENS WITH YOUR JOB WHEN STUDENTS RETURN?
I can take a little breather, but not for very long because there are still a lot of details that need to be taken care of. We still have conferences throughout the year and we have Saturday seminars. There are annual statewide conferences and, when the need arises, we’ll have to put something together quickly.