How To Build An Impactful Swag Committee For Our Membership

The Swag Committee is something that’s been talked about for years, but never fully delivered on. I plan to change that by putting forward a proposal that ensures we actually produce meaningful, high-quality items for members—t-shirts, sweaters, knives, coins, pins, and more—through a structured interview and selection process.

Our union has many members with backgrounds in art and design, and I want to give those members a real opportunity to contribute and showcase their skills. Many of them came up believing that if they pursued creative careers and put in the work, they would find stability. Instead, they faced unpaid internships and precarious work, which pushed them to seek better opportunities—eventually finding their way into our trade. But that passion for creating doesn’t just disappear. It’s still there, and we should be tapping into it.

As someone who considers himself an artist, I’ve designed over 100 pieces—posters, stickers, and clothing—that have made their way into the membership. There’s nothing like seeing one of your designs show up on a hard hat or toolbox years later. That kind of connection matters, and it’s something we can build on.

The current Swag Committee is made up of passionate people, but their role should be to coordinate and elevate the work—not carry the full creative burden. Many of them already serve the membership in other ways, and their time could be better spent supporting a broader, more inclusive process.

The goal is simple: build a bigger tent. Bring in more members, share the workload, and showcase the best talent our union has to offer. By introducing seasonal swag runs—Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter—and presenting designs through online town halls for member input and voting, we can create better products while also driving deeper engagement across the membership.

This isn’t just about swag—it’s about pride, participation, and giving members a real stake in what represents them.