As presidential candidates gathered at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on August 3 for AFSCME’s Public Service Forum, Local 4041 members were ready to question the candidates about their commitment to protecting public services and to workers who dedicate their lives to their communities. The forum was an AFSCME member event and moderated by HuffPost Washington Bureau Chief Amanda Terkel and Nevada Independent Editor Jon Ralston.
Over 20 members of Local 4041 got to question the candidates on issues we care about, issues like health care, protecting our pensions, our right to organize, LGBTQ rights, infrastructure and investments to public services.
Stephanie Dube, a custodian at UNLV, said she signed up to attend the forum “because it’s important that working people like us get a chance to hear from candidates directly about what they stand for and what policies they support before I give them my vote.”
Questioning the candidates was an opportunity for AFSCME members to see how candidates prioritize public services and the vulnerable communities we serve.
Ashleigh Edwards, a psychiatric caseworker with the Department of Child and Family Services, said “unions play an important part in fighting for racial justice and equality, and it was important to me to get to question the candidates on how they plan on helping us with resources for the services we provide to uplift historically underserved communities,” said Edwards.
AFSCME members from all over the country convened in Las Vegas for the forum, including Local 4041 members who traveled down from northern Nevada.
“The opportunity to see and speak to presidential candidates was far too great an opportunity to miss out on, even if it came with 19 hours of bus travel. It was the opportunity of a lifetime to ask candidates about how, as president, they plan to protect workers’ rights and I’m glad I got that chance as an AFSCME member,” said Cameron Hopkins, a social worker from Carson City.
Find videos from the AFSCME Public Service Forum at publicserviceforum.com
