(NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK) – Organized Labor doesn’t do it for the accolades - Unions and their Members do it because it’s a way to not only give back to the communities where they live, work and raise their families, but at this time of the year, as a way to provide a Christmas for a number of less fortunate area families and children who might not have one otherwise.

For 16 years, the Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO Central Labor Council (NOLC) has adopted a number of area families who need a hand up during the Christmas Holidays. 

Over the course of that time, the NOLC has helped as many as 400 families - including 21 this year, raising from the Council and its affiliated Member Unions $6,300, which meant as much as $300 were spent on each adoptive family and their children.

“It’s ‘all about what we stand for,’” NOLC President Jim Briggs, who also serves as Sub-District Director of United Steelworkers (USW) District 4, told WNYLaborToday.com.  “‘Solidarity doesn’t end at the fence line of the plants where our Members work.’  ‘Labor identifies with those in the community where we work and what they need to survive.’”

“I’m a ‘people person and it makes me feel good what this means for those families on Christmas Eve,’” Briggs continued.  “‘It is huge and you know what?’  (Union Members) ‘have been lucky.’  We have ‘good’ jobs and ‘many of us have not had the kind of problems these families have - but, that doesn’t mean we don’t understand what they are going through.’”

Affiliated NOLC Union Locals shopped for gifts through the monetary donations that were made after receiving a wish list from the chosen adoptive families - who were provided by the local Salvation Army, United Way of Greater Niagara/NOLC Labor Liaison Bill Jakobi told WNYLabortoday.com.

Those Unions and Labor Organizations contributing to this year’s effort included the NOLC, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1168, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 121, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 237, IBEW Local 2104, Lockport Teachers Local 2794, Niagara Falls Teachers Local 801, USW Local 4-0277, the USW District 4 Legislative Committee, USW Local 6992 and USW Local 4-0598.  Jakobi also gave a tip of the hat to his wife and daughter, Barb and Kayla, who helped shop for some of the families, as well as Tom and Sue Vogt.

The wish list for the chosen families and children - whose ages ranged from 16 to toddler, included clothing, boots, hats, scarfs, toys, Barbie dolls, board games, Buffalo Bills “stuff” and superhero action figures, Jakobi said.

“One family asked for a bed for their toddler and one of our Locals bought it for them,” he said.

Jakobi said he was “amazed” when the traveled to the local Salvation Army headquarters to drop off the donated gifts and items. 

There, in a large auditorium, were thousands of donated and wrapped gifts and items, which was a bit overwhelming, he said.

“It’s ‘phenomenal what people are doing with everything going on in their lives, but they are still finding a way to do it.’  ‘There are so many people out there who need help and if Organized Labor wasn’t involved, where would they be?’  But ‘every’ year, ‘I’m amazed - Union Workers giving back to the less fortunate who are always there to help and willing to take part in all of this because there’s nothing better that seeing a child on Christmas Day with a big smile on their face, seeing gifts under the tree.’  I ask you, ‘Do you believe in Santa Claus?  ‘We do and (Labor) really does make a difference (in so many lives),’” Jakobi said.