Member Voices

Philip Swanhorst

ATU Activist, Local 1310 - Eau Claire, WI

Eau Claire Activist’s Efforts to
Raise ATU Profile Paying Off

 

“All politics is local,” says Philip Swanhorst, 1310-Eau Claire, WI, quoting legendary Democratic House Speaker Tip O’Neil. And that’s where Brother Swanhorst focuses his attention as legislative and political coordinator for his members – at the local level.

For the past five years, Swanhorst has been working to raise the profile of the Union with county and city elected officials.  He meets regularly with candidates, helps them plan rallies and even goes door to door to help elect them.  He says it’s paying off.  “Our elected officials are more open to acknowledging that the local labor movement is part of local government.”


Building Relationships

Swanhorst has also been working to build relationships with other local unions, including police and fire.  “We all have contracts with the city government coming up and we should be looking for ways to work together,” he says.  After all, “that’s what a union is about - unity.” “Phil has done a masterful job getting transit-friendly candidates elected to the Eau Claire City Council and the state legislature,” says Dale Anderson, chair of the ATU Wisconsin State Legislative Conference.  “He is proving that one person can, and does make a difference.”

Swanhorst became an ATU member seven-and-a half years ago, after working for four years at a non-union tour bus company.  He’d had enough of the long trips on the road with no benefits, vacation or holidays.  He says the main reason he went to work in transit was because of the union.

He wasted no time in getting involved.  He immediately began attending the union meetings and after just over a year as a member, his fellow members elected him to the local’s general executive board – where he has served ever since.  


Activism Nothing New

Political activism is nothing new to Brother Swanhorst, who was active in South Dakota politics in the 1960’s and 70’s.   He even served as an alternate delegate to the 1976 Democratic National Convention in Madison Square Garden when Jimmy Carter received the presidential nomination.  “It was awesome,” he says of the experience.  “I’ve never done anything else like that.”

In addition to driving a bus 40 hours a week, campaigning for local labor-friendly candidates, and meeting with other union representatives, Brother Swanhorst, along with his wife, Pat, owns and operates a campground with 45 sites in Chippewa Falls, WI.  When asked how he finds the time, he replied, “My wife does all of the work.”