The first episode of AFGE’s new series, The Activist, highlighting our union members who have stepped up to help make a difference in the lives of their colleagues and our government.
Jessica LaPointe is president of the AFGE SSA Council 220, as well as vice president and office steward of Local 1346 in Madison, Wisconsin. She was hired as a bilingual claims specialist at the Social Security Administration. She processes disability and retirement claims and ensures proper payments to beneficiaries. She also helps the Spanish-speaking community with their questions. She is assigned to a lot of bilingual caseloads.
“I really enjoy helping the community, especially the Spanish-speaking community, because my degree is in Spanish and I enjoy helping people who need help,” she said. “I enjoy helping the most vulnerable of our population stabilize their income. That’s very meaningful to me and it feels like a purposeful career.”
Since joining AFGE 11 years ago and became active in the union a few years after. She has held several positions in her local, including Women and Fair Practices Coordinator and Legislative and Political Coordinator.
To Jessica, being a union activist is her calling.
“Within the agency I love doing the agency work, but my true passion is working within the union to better the lives of my coworkers and fellow brothers and sisters,” she explained. “It makes me feel like it’s a job well done at the end of the day when I’m able to do that work.”
Listen to Jessica talk about how she got involved in the union and her AFGE journey.
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