Five for the GOP

By Clyde Weiss

PHILADELPHIA

Of the 4,132 delegates and alternates to the Republican National Convention, five were members of AFSCME or its Retiree Program. Though not a large contingent, their presence demonstrates that AFSCME members can (and do) hold different views than the majority's and be respected for them.

Joe Papillo, 70, took part in his fifth GOP convention, this time as an alternate (he was a delegate twice before). A retiree from the Civil Service Employees Association/AFSCME Local 1000, the former New York appellate court clerk appreciates the union's financial support: "Regardless of whether labor supports the Democrat or the Republican, the bottom line is they are sending delegates to both conventions."

Joe Beames, a corrections officer and steward in Iowa Local 2995 (Council 61), has been chair of the Henry County Republican Party for six years, and also serves on the Mt. Pleasant city council. Attending the GOP's national convention for the first time, and interviewed just before it began, Beames doubted that his union membership would be a problem.

"I've been a member of the [GOP] Central Committee for 20 years and nobody's even questioned it," Beames remarked. "I say what I think. I'm a very honest person, I get right out there and work hard."

Virgil Schuck, a janitor for a school district in Coleraine, Minn., and a member of Local 456 (Council 65), served a decade as chairman of the Itasca County Republican Party. Though he's been to his party's state and district conventions, he'd never been to a national convention — until this summer.

Schuck says he can bring a union perspective to the GOP. "Many Republicans don't have a very good understanding of unions, and while I don't say I have a perfect understanding, a lot of people are against unions and I'm not. I worked in union jobs when I went to Bible college, and I would say 90 percent of my jobs have been union related."

There are two sides to every issue, he observes, and his is a conservative approach to politics. "I'm for unions, but sometimes I feel they are out in left field, and I want to bring both sides [the Democrats and Republicans] toward the middle."

This portion of the website is posted in full compliance with FEC regulations (11C.F.R. Sect.11 4.5(i)). It is paid for by the AFSCME PEOPLE Committee, with voluntary contributions from union members and their families, and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.