Union Involvement Was Key to Job Satisfaction

See the full AFSCME national blog post here: http://bit.ly/1eVLaXp

Eight years ago, Edgardo Marrero realized things had to change. Staff morale in Miami-Dade County’s Animal Services department was at an all-time low. The workers suffered from bad management, frequent turnover and a lack of control over their day-to-day jobs and their careers.

Marrero knew he had to do something and that something was to get involved with his union, AFSCME Local 199.

“Most of your day is spent at work,” he said. “So I figured that instead of just spending the time complaining and wishing it would get better, I would actually do something about it.”

Born and raised in south Florida, Marrero understood the cyclical nature of the area’s economy and how that impacts county workers in everything from contracts to staff size, but he also knew that the union could be a positive force for change in both good times and bad. With the right support from AFSCME and a focus on the right goals, he knew his success at work didn’t have to depend on the economic roller-coaster.

“The shop steward at the time helped me understand how powerful we can be if we work together and stand strong for what we want. She kept me active over time and, thanks to her, I soon became shop steward myself,” he said.

Soon, Marrero’s department was flourishing. Turnover levels dropped, productivity rose along with job satisfaction, and new members were joining the union after seeing what Local 199 was all about.

Marrero decided to take his new passion for supporting his co-workers to the next level by becoming a union representative. Thanks to his hard work, along with his fellow representatives and member leaders, Local 199 is now much more present in the worksite, more active in helping members achieve their goals and in ensuring that help is never far away. 

The renewed focus paid off with a new contract last year that won back tens of millions of dollars in pay concessions relinquished during the economic crisis and even includes a wage increase, an end to furloughs and continued quality health coverage. And it is reflected in the more than a thousand new members that joined in the past year. 

“Local 199 is moving in the right direction to say the least but all this success really just has us wanting more,” said Marrero. “In many departments we are reaching a super majority of membership, but I want to see 100 percent membership across the county.”