AFSCME moms are exceptional – take it from their kids

By Elissa McBride · Friday, May 10, 2024

Tags: Our Stories From the Secretary-Treasurer

AFSCME moms are raising some pretty amazing kids. Every spring, I get a blast of inspiration when I read the winning essays in the AFSCME Family Scholarship competition.

Hundreds of high school students whose parents or grandparents are AFSCME members submit essays about “what AFSCME has meant to our family.” The essays tell stories about our union and its impact, from negotiating health insurance that provides life-changing care for kids to teaching lessons about worker power and public service. Some students like Bronwyn, the daughter of Pia Allabastro of AFSCME Local 328 (Council 75), plan to follow in their parents’ footsteps. As Bronwyn puts it, “I see myself working in a service or care work career like my mom.”

AFSCME moms are incredible role models, and I learned about their impact through the stories their kids told with pride. This Mother’s Day, I want to share a bit of that inspiration with you.

I learned about Kimberly Dolan, who is the only American Sign Language (ASL) Direct information specialist in the New York City Department of Social Services. ASL Direct, as I learned from her son Jake, is a “video calling service for low-income, deaf-identifying New Yorkers.” As Jake explains, “New Yorkers who are Deaf are more likely to be marginalized and live in poverty and distress. It is this anguish that my mom works tirelessly to alleviate.”

Jake’s essay is a testament to his mother’s commitment to her job, which is “intense and often takes an emotional toll on her.” Jake has learned compassion for those who need assistance from his mother. And he has learned that it is her union, District Council 37/Local 371, that “enables my mom to pursue her passion of serving the public good by working as a pillar of stability.” He sums it up beautifully: “AFSCME has protected my family’s future and lengthened my family’s long-held tradition of serving the country through municipal work.” He intends to carry on that tradition.

I also learned about April Hart, a social worker in Washington, DC. Her son Messiah testifies to the impact of AFSCME Council 20/Local 2401 on their lives. Through her union, April won a pay raise that enabled her to stop working a second job at night. For Messiah, that meant that his mother was able to be a stronger presence in his life, resulting in his top-notch academic performance. As Messiah writes, “It was instilled in me that in order to succeed in your endeavors, you need self-driven perseverance, maturity, aptitude and as she says, the ‘willingness to try.’”

And I learned about Marissa Castoro, a member of AFSCME Local 3299 in California, and her son Gianni. Gianni has watched his mom complete her education and become a licensed vocational nurse for the University of California. He has watched her work hard to support him throughout his childhood — with help from union-negotiated wages, health care and paid leave. And recently, he has watched her take time off to care for a new sibling, who was born last fall. Gianni writes movingly about the importance of parental leave for children and their families, and the joy that a new baby can bring into a family when parents are supported. “My baby brother was able to spend the first five months of his life by his mother’s side with the financial support provided to her by her union contract. … I’m infinitely grateful she was able to have that opportunity.”

Reading these essays reminds me of some of the inspirational public figures that AFSCME moms have raised. Like Tracy Chapman, the social justice advocate and singer who lit up the stage at the 2024 Grammy awards. Her mother, Hazel Chapman, was an activist in OCSEA/AFSCME Local 11 when she worked for the Ohio Department of Human Services. And like Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, whose mother, Laneda Jeffries, was a social worker and a member of AFSCME Local 371 (District Council 37) – just like Jake’s mom. Congressman Jeffries frequently shares the impact that our union had on his life, from helping pay the mortgage to providing a pension to inspiring him to pursue the path of public service.

Here's to all the AFSCME kids, and the AFSCME moms, grandmoms, foster parents and extended family, and mentors who help raise them. Happy Mother’s Day!

May 17, 2024