I should have changed clothes.
As the new executive director of the Wyoming State AFL-CIO, my heeled dress shoes and pressed suit jacket made me an obvious outsider in the sea of faded Carhartts and steel-toed boots at the Plumbers and Pipefitters UA Local 192 meeting.
The tradespeople's glances said it all: "What is she doing here?"
I thought I was there for an informal introduction, but when called up as a "guest speaker," my palms began to sweat. Despite years of experience in public speaking, no amount of experience addressing legislators at the state capitol had prepared me for those blank stares.
A few minutes into my rambling, just before I was about to give up and put an end to all of our suffering, a union leader spoke up: "You should see her at the capitol. This girl's a fighter. She's fighting for Wyoming workers. She's fighting for you."
The shift was immediate. Leadership vouching for me gave instant credibility – Wyoming workers are used to empty promises and platitudes from outsiders, but they are fiercely loyal to their own. Workers who'd been studying their boots now met my gaze with cautious interest.
I pivoted to SF0175, a bill attempting to slash unemployment insurance. Frustrated comments erupted: "How can they do that?" "We want to work, but sometimes there's no work!"
These weren't abstract policy discussions — these were real concerns from hardworking folks who understand seasonal layoffs all too well in our boom-and-bust economy.
When I asked how many had been to a rally, someone shouted from the back, "Does a Trump rally count?"
The tension was palpable – this was truly a politically diverse crowd. I took a breath and replied, "Hell yeah. I want that same energy. Maybe... less storming the capitol?"
The shared laughter that followed—for various reasons—broke the ice and brought instant relief. I had somehow stumbled onto the right response.
That night put to rest a nagging fear: Had national politics driven a wedge between Wyoming workers? Or would we still stand together when it mattered most?
A trona miner had approached me days earlier about holding a rally to protect mine safety regulations from federal funding cuts. "Without MSHA, miners die," he said plainly.
I explained to the plumbers and pipefitters that while mine safety might not directly affect them, we needed to send a powerful visual message. "If workers are holding a rally," I said, "we need to make a statement."
"What about the teachers?" someone asked. "How about those federal employees that just got laid off?" The consensus was clear – this wouldn't be just a union rally. It needed to include ALL Wyoming workers.
The rally we organized just a week later brought 150 Wyomingites together from across the political spectrum.
Signs supporting different political viewpoints stood side by side, united by something more fundamental: our dignity as workers.
By pure luck — or divine intervention, given the diversity of faith in that crowd — the unemployment bill came up for debate DURING our rally.
We moved the rally into the People's House — and lawmakers looked up to see the gallery filled with real people — ranchers, miners, teachers, plumbers —some directly affected by the bill standing shoulder to shoulder with others it wouldn't touch.
This bill was set to pass. I had already counted the likely votes; the Freedom Caucus would vote as a block on their leadership's bill. It seemed a done deal.
But something shifted when our legislators saw us standing together. Everything changed in that moment of solidarity. As the roll call votes came in, it wasn't even close: 36 nays to 22 ayes. Someone whispered, "It's a miracle!" The man next to me shook his head and said, "that's the union."
My first month on the job, Wyoming workers showed me what they were capable of, and I'm committed to building on this foundation.
Next week, I'll be in Washington D.C. with a diverse Wyoming coalition that includes the Lander mayor, a Teton County commissioner, a grants integration manager for the city of Cheyenne, a Northern Arapaho Tribal Conservation Advocate, and an energy associate from the Wyoming Outdoor Council.
We’re meeting with Wyoming’s congressional delegation to advocate for the release of paused/frozen federal funding and against proposed cuts that would negatively impact our state. We'll carry the same spirit of unity that filled that gallery to the halls of Congress.
Unions often get a bad rap in today's polarized climate.
But a union is merely a tool — like any tool, its value depends on how it's used. Throughout American history, worker organizing has delivered the 40-hour workweek, ended child labor, established minimum wages, and created safer workplaces. These aren't partisan accomplishments — they're American achievements that have lifted up all working people.
Not all unions are perfect. Some are ineffective; others have lost their way. But at their best, they represent the timeless Wyoming values of neighbors helping neighbors and communities taking care of their own.
My belief in the power of unions doesn't come from blind allegiance to an institution. It comes from my deep love for and belief in working people. I've seen what happens when the frustrations of the individual are channeled into the collective power of the union.
No political party is coming to save us. No single elected official holds the answer. The working people of Wyoming must save ourselves — by standing shoulder to shoulder despite our differences, finding common ground in our shared struggles, and using our collective voice to demand dignity, fair wages, and respect.
That's the Wyoming way — fiercely independent in spirit, yet understanding that true strength comes from standing together when it matters most. Like the early homesteaders who survived harsh winters by coming together as communities, we know that our individual liberty flourishes when we have each other's backs.
Right now, we face another critical fight. Join us this Sunday, March 23rd, at Casper's Washington Park Bandshell (12:30-2:30 PM) to stand with our postal workers — the lifelines connecting our rural communities. The proposed changes to the USPS would force all Wyoming mail — even letters sent from Cody to Cheyenne — to be processed out of state first.
Damnit, we don't want our mail going to Denver! There's a reason we live in Wyoming.
When special interests push to dismantle and privatize the Postal Service, they threaten not just 640,000 workers nationwide but the vital services our rural communities depend on. In places private carriers won't go, these cuts aren't just inconvenient — they're devastating. But this is not inevitable. Just like with the unemployment bill, we can change the outcome if we stand together and make our voices heard.
Whether you wear steel-toed boots or dress shoes to work, whether you drive a truck or sit at a desk, whether you've been a union member for decades or have never carried a card — we're stronger together.
Show up Sunday. Stand with your neighbors. Commit to the long road ahead. This is how Wyoming saves itself.
Marcie Kindred is the Executive Director of the Wyoming State AFL-CIO, representing over 6,000 working families across Wyoming.
