I’d bet that most of us were taught the Golden Rule when we were very young.

Whether we heard some version of the rule from our parents, our teachers or our religious leaders, we eventually learn that the notion that we should “treat others the way we want them to treat us” is what forms the very foundation of our society.

When we joined the IBEW, we learned organized labor’s version of the Golden Rule: “An injury to one is an injury to all.”

President Cooper and I take both rules extremely seriously, brothers and sisters. Make no mistake: We do not — we will not — tolerate behaviors that break them, especially when doing so makes someone in our ranks feel unsafe or unwanted.

In the January Electrical Worker, Coop and I told you about the IBEW’s Bystander to Upstander program, and in this month’s issue, you can get more details about it.

Presented by our Education Department and our Civic and Community Engagement Department, Bystander to Upstander teaches valuable, real-world strategies that all of us can use to intervene whenever we witness a co-worker or fellow member being treated unfairly.

Through interactive discussions and role-play scenarios, participants in the program learn how “just joking” is never an excuse for making a union sister or brother feel threatened, unequal or unsafe because of the way they look, dress, talk or act.

If you’ve ever wished you would’ve stepped in to stop someone from being bullied, touched inappropriately, pranked or ridiculed, I strongly encourage you to ask the leaders of your local and its affinity groups about making Bystander to Upstander training available to your membership.

Here’s something else to think about: The IBEW simply can’t afford to become known as a union of bystanders. We all must become upstanders for our union and our fellow members, because that’s how we strengthen our solidarity. Being upstanders can lead us to further gains in membership, greater market share and better benefits at the bargaining table.

When you go through Bystander to Upstander, you’ll hear these powerful words by Elie Wiesel, who was born in Romania, survived the Holocaust, and later went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize as an American citizen, an acclaimed writer and a political activist: “What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor, but the silence of the bystander.”

Brothers and sisters: We must strive never to be silent bystanders when we witness injustice of any kind. The principles of the IBEW demand that we all stand ready to serve as active upstanders. Thanks for doing your part.