Family Ties

By Susan Ellen Holleran

AFSCME Family Scholarship recipients have all experienced the power of union solidarity. Taken together, their essays (excerpted below) demonstrate how AFSCME reaches into every aspect of life from the workplace to the home. Each winner will receive a $2,000 scholarship — renewable for up to four years — for full-time course work toward a college degree.

Elizabeth Susan Bau, daughter of Susan M. Bau, Wisconsin Local 426 (Council 48).

• Our family can truly say that it owes its very existence to AFSCME. My parents met at the birthday party of my mother's Local 426 president. ... [My mother] was a member of the executive board, served several terms on the local's joint bargaining committee and was a steward. ... My father ... was the chief spokesperson for the City of Milwaukee's management bargaining team.

Alan W. Goff, son of Alice Goff, California Local 3090 (Council 36).

• As far back as I can remember, I have been immersed in everything "union." ... The union is a central part of our lives. AFSCME means firsthand knowledge of the dignity involved with the fight to ensure human rights ... love and concern for brothers, sisters and their families ... [and] support from brothers and sisters who are there for one another. ... AFSCME means family.

Lindsey Goose, daughter of Alice T. Goose, Kentucky Local 4011 (Council 62).

• Before my mother joined AFSCME, she didn't think she had any say ... in her working conditions and policies ... she learned differently. ... My family has always been for the underdog, since we've always been underdogs ourselves. But we've learned that the underdog isn't always as powerless as it may seem. Everyone deserves to have a choice and a say in what goes on, no matter where they work.

Glenn Kiyeshi Lashley, son of Janice K. Kikuchi, New York Local 436 (DC 37).

• AFSCME has touched almost every facet of my day-to-day living. ... Without [the union] my family would not ... have access to the health benefits that allow us to obtain the medications we need, such as the asthma medicine I use daily and the prescription glasses I use to see the board in my classes at school.

Mark Scott, son of Lynn Scott, Ohio Association of Public School Employees/AFSCME Local 4.

• [Mark was diagnosed with autism just before his third birthday.] The first glimmer of hope came from the First Step Program. ... Mrs. Stebora was a teacher's aide who ... taught me about colors and tastes, emotions and how to smile and reach out. I am forever thankful that OAPSE/AFSCME provided strong union contracts with competitive wages and benefits [to attract] someone as gifted as Mrs. Stebora.

Sarah J. Stapleton, daughter of Larry R. Stapleton, Indiana Local 1030 (Council 62).

• Because of AFSCME, my family is thriving and blessed beyond measure. [Local 1030 won her father's job back after he was unjustly fired.] AFSCME not only gave my father back his untarnished and unblemished name, [but also] the right to continue to serve our community while providing for his family. ... My father stood on truth and honesty from the beginning, but without AFSCME, the truth is we would have lost so much more than his job.

Huy Chan Tran, son of Thang Chi Tran, Massachusetts Local 1730 (Council 93).

• My dad worked with handicapped people for almost 20 years before moving to the United States. However, [here] he had to take jobs that were insecure and unstable. ... He recently got a new job where he works full time. ... Because of an organization like AFSCME [which represents Mr. Tran] ... he'll be able to provide for our family without being afraid of unforeseen circumstances.

Marcus Turner, son of Prentiss Rhodes-Turner, Illinois Local 2794 (Council 31).

• AFSCME has meant a history of giving and expecting fair treatment for my family — beginning with my grandparents, who ... instilled in my mother ... the commitment to work within the union, challenging management but bargaining fairly. ... Through AFSCME, my family has been successful in securing the basics. ... The extras, like friendship, fun and [being with] others who share the belief in union work make me proud.

Antron Demetri Watson, son of Eric G. Watson, Pennsylvania Local 1224 (Council 13).

• The struggle for social change seems endless. However, AFSCME has made major strides both politically and economically for hardworking employees in this country. ... Pres. Gerald W. McEntee and ... Sec.-Treas. William Lucy ... have been an inspiration to me in the impact I would like to some day make in bringing about more equality in this society.

Kristen Williams, daughter of Dewlyne J. Ponteau, Connecticut Local 530 (Council 15).

• I thank the union for allowing my mother to develop into a woman, that not only my brother and I can admire, but also others in our community. She serves and protects within New Haven, while securing suitable and fulfilling lives for her children. Thank you, silent member of our household. Although our gratitude may not appear, we are truly grateful. You helped sustain the backbone of my family: my mother.