In Winter Disasters, Public Employees are Heroes

In the first two months of 1996, communities in the northeast, midwest, and northwest faced a series of disasters -- blizzards, flooding, even an oil spill. Public employees rose to the occasion. When disaster struck, AFSCME workers were the sung and unsung heroes -- risking their lives, working around the clock and behind the scenes.

There are many workers and communities in the northwest who are still battling the floods as we go to press -- and obviously so many workers across the country whose dedication and courage these past months, though not related in these pages, are no less noteworthy. It is our hope that the stories told here can stand in tribute to the many more not told: a tribute to the good deeds -- the courageous acts and the small contributions -- that AFSCME members across the country are doing each day for their neighbors and their communities.

by Alison S. Lebwohl