NAPE/AFSCME member Sue Martin, who has served as President of the Nebraska State AFL-CIO since 2015, will retire at the end of September when her term comes to an end. Sue has provided dedicated and steadfast leadership to our state labor federation, and we are so proud of all of her accomplishments.
Sue grew up in Lincoln in a working class household where the value of hard work was instilled at a young age. “I got my first job when I was 13 working at a hair salon from 5-9pm for 75 cents an hour. Unknown to me and my family at the time, the minimum wage was $1.50 and children my age couldn’t work past 7pm,” Sue said. When a family friend pointed out the child labor laws to Sue’s family, it sparked a lifelong commitment to advocacy. “I knew that at some point in my life, my passion would become fighting for the rights of working women, men and their families and organized labor gave me this perfect opportunity.”
Sue got started in the Nebraska labor movement in the 1990s after meeting former NAPE/AFSCME President Bob Corner at a Nebraska AFL-CIO fundraiser. Sue’s boyfriend at the time, now husband, was President of CWA Local 7470, and she watched his passion for advocating for working men and women. “Attending that fundraiser engaged me immediately and I knew I wanted to be part of the union movement.”
Sue, who worked for the Nebraska Department of Education, would go on to be elected to the NAPE/AFSCME executive committee, Nebraska AFL-CIO executive board, treasurer of the Lincoln Central Labor Union, and Lincoln Labor Temple Building Association. She was elected President-Secretary/Treasurer of the Nebraska State AFL-CIO in 2015, and has proudly led the state federation for the past decade.
Sue is most proud of the coalition building that has occurred during her presidency. Through direct involvement with affiliates, elected officials, the national AFL-CIO, state federations, and central labor councils, the labor movement in Nebraska has strengthened and created stronger connections. “In particular I’m proud of our member involvement in passing ballot measures in Nebraska to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour and passing paid sick leave for Nebraskans,” Sue said.
Sue knows that we will continue to face challenges in the future, but she sees these challenges as opportunities to confront head on. “The Nebraska labor movement has an opportunity to change the dynamics of our unicameral legislature and elect folks to office that will truly represent the working men and women of our state,” Sue said. “We can elect representatives to office that will have our back when it’s time to vote on cuts to Medicare, Social Security, Veterans Services or child supporting services.”
Sue’s advice to Nebraska’s union members is simple. “Participate,” she said. “You can’t sit on the sidelines and expect change to happen. I get it. Not everyone wants, or has the time to be, a union leader, but participating doesn’t mean you have to be a leader. Participation could be as simple as sending an email when asked, making a phone call, or discussing with co-workers what a difference having a union makes in your life.”
Delegates to the Nebraska State AFL-CIO constitutional convention in Kearney will elect a new President who will take office on October 1. Sue will head into retirement, but she’ll continue to be an advocate for Nebraska’s workers. “It has truly been an honor and a pleasure representing union members throughout the state for the last 10 years,” Sue said. “The labor movement embeds itself in your soul. It’s not something you just do, it’s something you live.”