Dear AFSCME Family,

The last two years have been full of challenges for many of us.

At the Minnesota Department of Human Services, where I work as a security counselor, the pandemic aggravated a short-staffing problem that left my remaining colleagues and me with 43,000 hours of overtime in a little over one year.

That’s the amount of work of 21 full-time employees.

I don’t know how we got through it, but we did. While we are still struggling, things are getting better. Now, we get bonuses when we work overtime or on the weekends. There are also retention bonuses, which means that morale has really improved.

This was only possible because of federal funding that the state of Minnesota received in the last year. AFSCME members like you and me fought for this money, and it has made a huge difference.

Do you have a story of how things are getting better for you at home or in your workplace? Share it here.

As a mother of two boys, 15 and 12, I was also grateful for the free school lunches and child tax credits that helped my family put a little money aside in case of emergency. Gas prices are starting to go down and the potholes on our streets are getting fixed.

When I look back on the last two years, I’m amazed at how far we’ve come. As a member of AFSCME Local 1092 (Minnesota Council 5), I know what a difference we’ve made as union members by speaking out and fighting together.

If you’re a public service worker like me, the last two years have probably been some of the hardest of your career. But you might have a story to share about how things are getting better — how, together, we are making things better.

Please share it here.

In solidarity,

Jessica Langhorst
AFSCME Local 1092, Minnesota Council 5