Public Employee Press

Political Action 2012
DC 37 unionists going to Democratic convention

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts is leading a delegation of eight from DC 37 at the Democratic National Convention during the week of Sept. 3 in Charlotte, N.C., where Barack Obama will accept the Democratic Party nomination for re-election as president of the United States.

Roberts and Political Action Director Wanda Williams were named at-large delegates by the Obama campaign. "This is a real honor," said Roberts. "Of course, we'll be working hard to keep the president in the White House by getting out the vote in November."

The DC 37 delegates will be attending early-morning and afternoon strategy caucuses with many other participants from DC 37's national union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and pressing for the party platform to include "public funding to keep civil servants working," said Roberts.

Associate Director Oliver Gray and SSEU Local 371 retiree Julia Rodriguez were elected as delegates in their districts. Local 299 President Jackie Rowe-Adams, who chairs DC 37's PEOPLE committee, and Maf Misbah Uddin, treasurer of DC 37 and president of Local 1407, will be alternate delegates. Uddin was a delegate at the 2008 convention in Colorado and attended the 2004 convention in Boston, where Barack Obama gave the keynote speech. "I knew then that he would be special," said Uddin.

Yudelka Tapia of Local 1407 and Local 154 Claims Specialist Vanessa Tirado are also part of the New York State delegation. Tirado will be attending her second convention after serving as an alternate in 2008. A shop steward for almost 10 years, Tirado also is active with Obama's Organizing for America, where she has worked on voter registration campaigns statewide and in Pennsylvania. "Registering people to vote is an ongoing campaign," said Tirado, who will be part of the convention's Rules Committee. "This is especially important because several states are trying to disenfranchise voters."

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