AFSCME in San Francisco – Celebrating Activism

by   |  August 01, 2008

Day 4 of AFSCME’s 38th International Convention: Activism was celebrated on day 4 with an inspiring program emceed by Lamont Wilkerson of New Jersey Council 1, Local 2209), and a Volunteer Member Educator since 2002. Things got cooking when Deborah Jeffers, the head cook for a school in Salem, MA told how she helped build a partnership of parents, workers, principals, teachers, school committee members, and students to fight to keep freshly cooked meals prepared by skilled AFSCME workers. Not only did they win, they’ve now been selected to run the food service program in 2008-2009, and Jeffers is taking a year leave of absence to become interim Director of the program. Natasha Pranger, a Forensic Scientist and a member of Local 304, Council 28 in Washington State went from fee payer to Next Waver. And now she’s helping organize the Next Wave of AFSCME members 35 and under. And Janet Ramsey (Wisconsin Council 24), a Medical Lab Tech for almost 30 years at the University of Wisconsin Hospital, attended an AFSCME women’s leadership training in San Jose, California where she learned how to organize – and hasn’t stopped organizing since. Watch these inspiring AFSCME activists here: