Recently, Jackson Health System members grabbed some food, some green swag and made memories with their AFSCME family during AFSCME Week. Held at locations across Miami-Dade County, the hardworking front-line staff of South Florida’s largest public safety-net health system celebrated all that they have won over the past year and start to focus on the priorities for their next contract bargaining.
“This event is great I think because it is giving someone like me an opportunity to voice my concerns about what I deal with and to make sure I express what I want to see us push for in our next contract,” said Carlos Justiz who works in the radiology department at Jackson West Medical Center.
In between dancing to the music and showing off their new AFSCME Local 1363-branded items with 1265 of their coworkers, the Local signed up 100 new members, another sign that the months of arduous work are paying off and the local is moving in the right direction.
For some of the Local’s leaders, the AFSCME Week events are part of the reason they stay involved and active.
“People want to be shown a little respect, to know that others see them, to help them take pride in what they do and it is the small things like things like AFSCME Week that say hey, we are all in this together and we appreciate you,” said Bruce Martin, an AFSCME Retiree member who still serves as a steward after a career spent working at Jackson. “And for me, now, the joy I get when I know I am helping someone advance their career or help their family because I can enforce their contract, that is the best part of this.”
“Having a union means having a say in what takes place in my workplaces” said steward Donny Dandy. “I have a voice as to what will take place and what we would like to see take place. As we celebrate AFSCME Day, we see that we are really are stronger together.”
“This is all about building a tighter network and stronger team so we go into the next bargaining the best we can,” said steward Jessica Candame. “And let’s be honest, after the past few years who doesn’t need a little celebration for having never quit during the whole pandemic!”
