Tell us about your work. What do you do? How long have you worked there?

[KM]: I am a Human Services Specialist II at the Passaic County Board of Social Services, and I have worked there for the past 35 years. My job is to interview people in our communities to assess their eligibility for assistance such as Medicaid, food stamps, and other forms of help.

 

What made you become a Shop Steward?

[KM]: I like helping people, and I wanted to assist in being the go-between our members and our union leaders. As a Shop Steward, we undergo training, we are fully versed in the union contract, and we help coworkers with issues such as filing grievances and so forth.

 

What lessons have you learned from your time as a Shop Steward?

[KM]: I learned that I actually like doing this. I like helping people, I like seeing results. For example, some said that we weren’t going to be able to get a raise or backpay in our new contract, and we did. We won. I like finding solutions.

 

Does being in a union make your working conditions better?

[KM]: Always. The union keeps me going and makes it easier to do my job well.

 

Why do you think so many people are unionizing today?

[KM]: People are unionizing because they see that those at the top are not on the workers’ side. They just want to be able to hire and fire people, and with a union, there is job protection, and you need to prove a good reason to be able to remove someone. Everybody needs a union.

 

Do you have any tips for members considering becoming a Shop Steward?

[KM]: I would say that you have to be a people-person. You have to be able to work with your colleagues, you need to listen to them about what’s going on and be objective, and you have to have patience. You also have to be willing to put in the work. You need to be available to mobilize, to rally, to fight for a fair contract.