Standing Up for Those With Disabilities

MINNEAPOLIS

Rita Erickson turned a problem into a program, and her efforts made Local 2822 (Council 14) a winner.

Each year, in cooperation with the National Organization on Disability, AFSCME recognizes affiliates that have worked to improve the lives of members with disabilities — inside or outside the workplace. The International presented the 2001 award to Local 2822 for the variety of activities it has undertaken to help members understand their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.

"I got involved with ADA and FMLA issues because some of our members had problems," says Erickson, Local 2822's membership secretary. "I often found myself informing management about the issues and workers' rights."

The local's officers enthusiastically supported Erickson's efforts, which include a regular newsletter column and workshops to prepare union leadership and stewards to become better-informed advocates. She terms the local "outstanding. It has helped me to get the training I need."

Erickson's interests and skills deepened as she participated in a joint labor/management cooperation training program at Harvard and decided to pursue a master's degree in organizational leadership.

Now, in addition to sharing information with her local's members, she is working to establish cooperative programs that permit the union and management to look for the best solutions to on-the-job problems presented by workers with disabilities — particularly mental disabilities.

Local 2822 will use the $1,000 award to develop more training programs, so that the local's leadership will remain informed about new developments regarding the rights of workers with disabilities.