December 20, 2013
Reprinted From afscme.org
A member of Retired Public Employees Council of Washington, Chapter 10, Mary Marbles is one of the many activists who make AFSCME a powerful voice for retirees across the country. We recently asked her to share her thoughts with us about being an AFSCME member.
How long have you been active with AFSCME?
I got involved in AFSCME when I was working for the Harbor View Medical Center at the University of Washington. I worked there for 30 years in medical records and patient registration. During my time at the hospital I became a union member and got very involved with my local. I retired in 1999.
What do you do as part of the retiree chapter?
I am the secretary. In all my years there I have missed maybe one executive board meeting. As for our activities, we go to a lot of conventions and conferences and set up booths. We go to the legislature for lobby days. We want to let people know that we retirees exist.
What would you say to other retirees?
We have a big fight: I am very concerned about our pensions and Medicare and Social Security. Our retirees need to come in and help us be advocates for our retirement security that we’ve earned. We’re out there constantly petitioning our legislators to protect against harmful cuts. I would invite other retirees to help us fight.
