NAPE/AFSCME union members are dedicated public servants who help better their communities and the livelihoods of their fellow Nebraskans.
Union member Amy Peters is a Scientist I at the DHHS Public Health Environmental Laboratory where she tests Nebraska’s drinking water for inorganic compounds. In other words, Amy’s job is to make sure that our water is safe.
Amy enjoys going “back to the basics” of science and lab work that she learned about in college. She also appreciates the unique position she’s in as a scientist who tests drinking water and also audits other laboratories that have water-testing capabilities.
Amy signed up to become a NAPE/AFSCME union member at her New Employee Orientation a little over four years ago. She came from a pharmaceutical background in the private sector where she felt worker protections and workplace safety weren’t always paramount.
So, when Amy saw the opportunity to join our union, she jumped at it.
“I think my favorite part about being a NAPE member is the sense of community,” she said. “I like talking to my fellow union members and hearing about the things happening in different departments across the state. And I like knowing that NAPE has our back in the good and bad times.”
Amy is one of our Volunteer Member Organizers. VMOs are members who are trained to talk to fellow employees about the importance of having a strong union at work. Amy took part in her first big VMO organizing event during our July organizing Blitz.
“I found the Blitz enlightening,” she said. “You hear about how many members a union has, but you don’t really think about how much effort it takes for a union to actually function. Without active members, it’s hard to have a strong union.”
One thing Amy wants people to know about union membership and activism is that, even in Nebraska, “‘The Good Life’ doesn’t happen without the hard work of the people who go out and actually try to make a difference.”
If you aren’t yet a union member, Amy encourages you to join today.