We Are AFSCME

Judith Arroyo, AFSCME PEOPLE Donor

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE
New York City, Local 436 (District Council 37)

How long have you been in the health care field?

I was previously an RN working in the hospitals in the 1980s, but I wanted to help prevent the illness and the visits to the hospital, which can be much more expensive, so I’ve been a public health nurse for the New York City Department of Health since 1994.

How did you get involved in AFSCME?

In my first job I thought that if I was a licensed RN that they would look at me as a professional and be taken seriously. That it would be enough to talk about the issues and things like getting a raise, but I got a lesson in reality. None of that counts when you’re dealing with management. You need the union. And if not for the union, I most likely wouldn’t have a pension when I retire.

What do you tell others about how the union makes a difference?

Even in the middle of an economic crisis, we in the union were able to get funding from the city to help nurses pay for their bachelor’s degree and then they could qualify for the state civil service exam. That’s something people see, and without the union, it wouldn’t happen.

Why do you donate to AFSCME PEOPLE?

It’s important that you make a contribution so that you can be heard.

Rodriguez Lobbins, Next Wave Member

SANITATION WORKER
Memphis, Tenn., Local 1733

How did you get involved in the union?

My father was a sanitation worker, as was my grandfather, who was one of the workers Martin Luther King came to Memphis to support in 1968. As a kid, I was walking the picket line with my mother, who was organizing the regional medical center. Years later, AFSCME helped me get my job back. It would be a whole lot different without the union, that’s for sure.

What do you consider to be important about the union?

As sanitation workers we deal with all kinds of issues, from work conditions to the safety of the trucks. AFSCME is right there, making sure we have our rights. This union speaks for us. We’re not the rich people, we’re the common folk, working hard, and we have a voice with AFSCME.

What do you tell other younger workers, to encourage them to join the union?

I tell them we need someone who can speak for us. The struggle is not just about what’s going on now, but about the future, about having a good job, and a pension when you leave so that we don’t have to work 50 years before we can retire.

To find out how to become a part of AFSCME’s Next Wave, for members 35 and younger, head to AFSCME.org/nextwave.