13 Win AFSCME Family Scholarships
This year's AFSCME Family Scholarship participants were so talented that the judges — the majority of whom come from the academic community and are independent of AFSCME — decided to make three additional awards. The $2,000 scholarships are renewable for up to four years — for full-time course work toward a college degree. The winners all had personal stories about AFSCME's impact on their families, and many described how — at least indirectly — the union has inspired their plans for the future.
CARL DUFFIELD, son of Illinois Local 900 (Council 31) member Becky Duffield.
Unions are a family of people striving together for a cause. It is not the title "union" that makes the people a family. It is the passion that they all have inside them, burning to make their voice heard. That has instilled a passion in me: to go out and achieve whatever goals I might have, because I know that even the smallest voice is heard in a union.
ANDREW JOHN FLICK, son of Ohio Local 3169 (Council 8) member Gerald Flick.
I feel blessed that my dad has a strong network of brothers and sisters that are there for each other every step of the way. Today the President and the Congress are moving America backward. My dad's union, AFSCME, has fought this administration's policies every step of the way. If it weren't for unions, how could hardworking Americans have a voice in our democracy equal to that of their employers?
OMANI GUY, son of New York Local 215 (DC 1707) member Cory Guy.
AFSCME means peace of mind to my family because we know that, in the workplace, we are part of a larger family. We can rely on our union as we would rely on our parents and siblings. My dad said that it is very difficult for workers, and sometimes just doing your job is not good enough. My family feels that today, more than ever, it is important to be affiliated to AFSCME.
TIARA JOHNSON, daughter of Washington, D.C., Local 3097 (Council 26) member Karen Johnson-Carter.
AFSCME has been a great support to my family during difficult times. In 1996, my mom was fired due to a manager's hostility toward her and for almost a year was out of work. AFSCME was there for us. With diligent support of its attorneys and her local's president, my mother was reinstated into her position with back pay. AFSCME, YOU ARE THE GREATEST!
JENNA JORDAN, daughter of Louisiana Local 3686 (Council 17) member Carol Jordan.
Because of my union background, I often view issues differently than my classmates. For example, as a recipient of Social Security Survivors' Benefits since the death of my father, I have been adversely affected by previous attempts to "reform" Social Security [when the age limit was lowered to 18]. When President Bush suggested radical changes to Social Security, I immediately recognized the threat to the future of the entire program.
JOYCE JOSEPH, daughter of New York Local 1757 (DC 37) member Mathew Joseph.
When I was in elementary school, the union meant that my dad would be coming home late and I would be receiving a can of soda. By the time I was in middle school, I started to develop a better understanding of the union, of grievances, contracts, benefits, political action, and city council hearings. [As my dad] reminds his members, there are no rights without responsibilities. I now know that this is what AFSCME stands for.
BRIANNE KISHIDA, daughter of Hawaii Government Employees Association/AFSCME Local 152 member Jacqueline Phillips.
In 1994, for the first time in her life, [my mother] voted to strike. The subsequent weeks were very difficult, but she said she didn't regret her decision. [When understaffing led to long hours, she told her supervisor that] she and the other social workers should be paid overtime since they stayed late every day. [She] filed a [successful] grievance, and the union supported her.
LEAH MATHISON, daughter of Wisconsin Local 3108 (Council 40) member Mary Mathison, RN, who served on the bargaining committee.
[She] came to realize that all those things she took for granted, like raises and benefits, had to be fought for. The county board members were almost in total agreement to raise the salary of the nurses, but reluctant to consider a raise for the social workers. My mother joined with the whole bargaining committee in holding out for an equitable pay raise for all professionals.
LIANA MULHOLLAND, daughter of Michigan Local 207 (Council 25) member Michael Mulholland.
Both my parents have been very active in their unions. I know that it has given their lives meaning. Their fight for the dignity of workers has inspired in me a similar determination to stand up for what is right. I have always struggled in school because of my dyslexia, [but] now I attend one of the most competitive schools in the city, where I am on the honor roll.
KYLE NASE, son of Pennsylvania Local 2132 (Council 88) member Dennis Guiles.
The strong influence of AFSCME led me to become an active voter in this most recent election. I will continue to stay involved and informed about politics and future elections. I know that AFSCME fights daily for the rights and benefits that should be allowed to our families.
ROSEMARY PRINCE, daughter of California Local 1587 (Council 57) member Cleveland Prince.
We, as children of union members, take for granted the benefits we enjoy. To listen to the struggle that our parents, grandparents and even our great-grandparents have gone through inspires me to reach my full potential. I see many similarities in the union fight for worker rights and the civil rights movement for equal rights. As an African-American student, both of their struggles have made it possible for me to have the opportunities for the future I desire.
CARA SAUNTO, daughter of Washington Local 2083 (Council 2) member Linda Saunto.
Union issues have always been a topic of discussion at our dinner table. I have vivid memories of long debates over contract negotiations, organizing our county's library system, election of officers and many other topics. I realized that the real union work gets done at local meetings — once a month in places like the basements of neighborhood libraries.
CHRISTOPHER WAITT, son of New Hampshire Local 1386 (Council 93) member Stephen Waitt.
I come from a family of strong union men [who] were proud to support their unions. With AFSCME supporting my dad, he will always be able to provide for his family, put my sister and myself through college, and later in life enjoy his retirement. In my family, the slogan "UNION YES" is not just a bumper sticker!
AFSCME Family Scholarship
To be eligible, a student must be a high school senior who will graduate in the spring of 2006 and whose parent or legal guardian is an AFSCME member. Applications will be available Aug. 1. Completed applications must be postmarked no later than Dec. 31, 2005. Contact AFSCME's Department of Education and Leadership Training, 1625 L St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-5687, or call (202) 429-1250. Forms can also be downloaded from AFSCME's website.
