The seventh 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.
Juan Ibarra is a mediator with EEOC and a steward with Local 3599 in Tennessee. He has been an AFGE member for about 10 years – first at the Department of Labor and currently at the EEOC.
He joined AFGE because he wanted to follow in his family’s footsteps. His family grew up in the Central Coast and Central California, and they were part of the first union in agriculture. They followed Cesar Chavez and their march for human rights and for workers’ rights, and knowing that the federal government has AFGE, he wanted to be a part of the movement.
“I got involved with the union because we had no representation in our office. And so people were constantly asking what is the right thing to do, this is what’s going on, there are issues,” he said. “I was constantly advocating for what the collective bargaining agreement said and I was approached and asked if I wanted to be a steward since I was already performing some of the duties.”
Juan believes union membership benefits the American people. When workers have a voice at work and feel empowered, they are less likely to leave for other jobs. High turnovers cost the government both money and time to hire and train new people to get them up to speed.
Listen to Juan talk about how his job helps the American people and why we need to support the work of the EEOC.
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