By: Charisse Gee
FCGEU board member
Fairfax County Police Dept.

I used to feel that as a Republican, my viewpoint was not represented within the union, but have learned that could not be further from the truth. Here's the shocker: do you realize that the Fairfax County Government Employees Union board members are mostly Republicans!

We've organized a SEIU Republic Committee so we can speak up, as Republicans, to build a stronger union. We encourage our membership to open up dialogue with their co-workers, to talk about our goals in creating a stronger Union by making better choices for our communities, county government, and workplace. With growth we will have a stronger voice with county government.

Our goal is to ensure that we all have a voice in our Union and with our Union to make the best choices for our county.

By: Travvis Mahrer
Fairfax County Police Department
Central Records Data Entry Supervisor

SEIU's Public Services Division Working Conference on Innovation and Quality brought public workers from across the country together in July. Members from Houston, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas I spoke to were all amazed that public workers in Virginia cannot have a collective bargaining agreement.

But I realized very quickly our local union was on the right track. What the conference was teaching and what union members would need to tell the others back home, we in Fairfax County were already doing. The Fairfax County Government Employees Union, SEIU Local 5 has been getting the message out that public employees do provide quality service and innovation; we are problem solvers that can help in these hard economic times.

We're on the right path--we're putting into practice the great ideas for improving public services:

• getting involved politically,


• getting the message out to the public that public employees are committed to quality service and can make things better; and


• being proud of the work we do and provide.

I was inspired to hear about SEIU members who improved services and cut costs--like workers in Houston, TX, who had so many good cost-saving ideas that their Board of Supervisors was able to rescind 10% staff cuts.

As FCGEU and SEIU Local 5 we will be making positive changes that will improve services and our jobs.

By Karen Conchar
President
Fairfax County Government Employees Union
SEIU Local 5

As a regular county employee, I saw the need to organize and form our own Union. By uniting, we've gained a real voice in the decisions that affect us every day. That's how we make real change in the County!

County Employees wear all kinds of collars, blue, white, and sometimes none. We provide the muscle, the brains, and the dedication in every Fairfax County agency. We produce data, oversee and execute projects, and deliver the administrative services--all to serve the citizens of our county.

By joining together, we have become an officially recognized organization by Fairfax County Government. We will continue to grow and organize in the hopes of achieving a better workplace for all employees. We're looking ahead to address on-the-job safety and health and the county's flawed pay system.

Please join me in speaking in one voice, for the better working conditions and fair rewards for your hard work, join us today!