They Don't Call It 'Union' for Nothing

Some people love their union. Others find love in their union. In celebration of Valentine's Day, we honor the following AFSCME members who met their mates through their union membership. Could it be that Cupid carries a union card?

Walter and LaVerne Jones

Washington, D.C., Local 2087 (Council 20) Pres. Walter Jones met LaVerne Gooding-Jones at the University of the District of Columbia where they work as a computer programmer and secretary, respectively. They attended union meetings together and were bitten by the love bug. She is a former executive board member of the local. The Joneses celebrated their first year anniversary Feb. 1.

"Being involved with the union requires a lot of time, energy, patience and sacrifice from both partners," says Walter. "But because we are soulmates and often on one accord, we balance our family and union commitments quite well. ... I just wish we had met sooner."

Ronald Roy and Mary Leite

Ronald Roy and Mary Leite are both community living aides for the Rhode Island State Department of Mental Health and Retardation Hospitals. And they are both members of Local 1293 (Council 94) where he serves as trustee and chief steward. But the couple didn’t become acquainted until they volunteered to work on an AFSCME political action project in 1996. Something must have clicked on the campaign trail because they are now are engaged to be married. Who says good things can’t come out of politics?

Mary Burke-Sarkinen and Lee Sarkinen

Massachusetts Local 2977 (Council 93) Pres. Mary Burke-Sarkinen and Lee Sarkinen celebrated their first anniversary Feb. 14. Both work for the Barnstable School Department. She is a school custodian and he is a grounds foreman. Burke-Sarkinen recently helped organize her husband’s unit which just negotiated its first contract.

"For several years, we brainstormed about building the union and before we knew it we were also bridging our hearts for a future together," she says.

Jan Corderman and Al McDonell

Newlyweds International Vice Pres. Jan Corderman met husband Al McDonell, a corrections officer and Iowa Local 3013 member, in 1982 when she served as a staff rep and he was chief steward during negotiations. They became engaged in 1986 and finally tied the knot this past October. Corderman also serves as president of Council 61.

"For many years, working hard for the union came first in our lives, before even thinking about a personal commitment," says Corderman. "Sometimes now our schedules personify a juggling act, but we manage to make time for one another."

Brian and Karen Coss

AFSCME Maryland Local 112 (Council 92) members Brian and Karen Coss — family investment workers for the state Department of Social Services — were married July 12, 1997. They also joined the union together. "I often tease her about how I not only recruited her from the Maryland Classified Employees Association to join AFSCME, but also won her heart," says Brian.

The Cosses, who reside in Hagerstown, are both active in the union. He serves on the local executive board and she is a shop steward. They also serve on their unit’s collective bargaining committee and recently went on a "date" to the state capital to lobby legislators for wage protections and a better pension.

A Union-Label Wedding

Planning a wedding can be a nightmare for many brides. But, for those who reside in Genesee County, Mich., just north of Flint, there is a ray of hope in wedding coordinator Jennie Jean.

Since last September, the AFSCME Local 496 (Council 25) member has helped take the wedding-bell blues away for some 100 couples by carefully booking contracts for banquet halls, and catering and seating at Cross Roads Village, a replica of an American town during the late 1800s.

Jean arranges for the bridal party to dine in the elegant Millstone Dining Hall, making sure that the portable dance floor is assembled, and that the linen, skirting and gift table are all in place.

"This is such a special day in people’s lives. We hope our efforts will make their day a most memorable one," she says.

By Venida RaMar Marshall