Our union has reached record-high membership and agencies and worksites across Nebraska continue to surpass majority membership. The Nebraska Library Commission is one such agency that has seen exponential growth and a boost in strong union leaders in the workplace. Here’s what some of our members at the Library Commission have to say about union membership at their agency:
Mackenzie Marrow, a Curator Assistant, has made growing union membership and educating their colleagues about the importance of being an active member a priority. It came as no surprise to their colleagues that Mackenzie was elected to the 2024 Bargaining Conference and negotiations team.
“Mackenzie has been such a force for growing union membership both in our agency and at other agencies,” said Hollin Attendola, a Curator Assistant. “Mackenzie has a passion for the labor movement, so I was excited to see them take up the mantle and join the negotiations team.”
Janet Greser, an IT Infrastructure Support Analyst, recently joined our union and is excited to be a part of our historic growth and ongoing advocacy.
“Unions have been a part of my family tradition, so I felt like I was continuing that tradition by becoming a NAPE member,” she said. “One of the things I love about our union is that we fight for the little guy. I’ve seen so many stories about one or two employees taking on the state and I imagine that feels lonely – but if you have our union behind you, it makes you feel like you can succeed.”
Vern Buis, an IT Infrastructure Support Analyst Lead, has been a NAPE union member for 48 years – standing in solidarity with his fellow State of Nebraska employees before our union had even won the right to collectively bargain.
Vern said he’s enjoyed seeing our union mature over the years – noting that it has become a vitally important part of our state’s ability to provide essential services to Nebraskans.
“I’ve been with the Library Commission since I started and it’s a great place to work. We have enlightened management and we have smart people who are compassionate and who believe in cooperation,” he said. “We all believe that things can get done when we do it together.”
Both Vern and Hollin are supervisors and they pride themselves on being union members and knowing that the employees they supervise are protected under our union contract.
“I think that being a supervisor who supports our union and its mission is a healthy way to approach the workplace,” Hollin said. “As a manager, I understand what you can and cannot do on both sides and I know that we can work through things by fostering a healthy relationship between management and employees.”
Bailee Juroshek, an Office Specialist, is relatively new to the Library Commission and said she has learned a lot in the less than a year that she has been there about the State and how our union functions to protect employees.
“Mackenzie got me all of the information about our union that I needed bright and early and they answered any questions I had about union membership,” she said. “I am a firm believer that unions are important to taking what power you can back into your own hands.”
Employees at the Library Commission all echoed the same sentiment: organizations work better when the people on the frontline have a voice and they’re all happy to come to work every day at a workplace where there is no “us vs. them” mentality.
As our union continues to grow, union members must become active in their workplace and encourage their colleagues to join and get involved. The more active members we have, the stronger we are. If you’re not yet a member of our union, click here to join us today!
