Who are you? Where do you work? How old are you?
My name is Heather Hemmer and I work as a Child Support Officer for Hennepin County. I am also an AFSCME Local 34 Union Steward. I’m 24 years old.
What was your call to action as a young worker?
I started my job with Hennepin County in July of 2009. I had a basic understanding of Unions but didn’t know how to get active. My friend and leading activist, Katie Farber, really showed me the ropes of union activism. Shortly after signing my union card, I started going to rallies, marches, and phone banking. I was told about AFSCME Next Wave and started organizing events with other Next Wavers. For the first time ever, I finally felt like I belonged.
Had you been active in other actions before this time?
In college, I started reading Karl Marx and began challenging the way our system worked and operated. It upset me that a small percentage of people could have so much while the rest of us have so little. My annoyance of the system introduced me to my new best friends: political and social activism. My advisor in college really got me thinking about activism. I was Co-President of a group called R.E.S.U.L.T.S which was fighting poverty through political action.
What leadership roles do you have in your union (community) right now? How did you get to this point?
I am a Union Steward and Next Wave Activist for AFSCME Local 34. All of my friends in Local 34 and Next Wave have helped me get to this point. Also, I have been working with Occupy MN, an organization which fights for the 99% and to put people over profits. Social networking, political, and social activism have all played a big part in my life and helped me get to where I’m at today.
What were the most important things you learned by working with young people so far?
I have learned that there are a lot of like minded political activists out there within the younger generation. We, the next generation of activists, have a bunch of young people willing and active to make the changes we need today in order to better tomorrow.
What were some of the things you learned at the Next Up conference this fall in Minneapolis?
Coalition building is one of the main concepts I learned from the Next Up conference.
What are you doing with these skills?
At the Next Up Summit, I had other young workers from all different unions sign up for the AFSCME Next Wave e-mail list. I have talked with other Next Wavers and we think it would be great to incorporate other unions and young people in the work that we do. We have strength in numbers and must have solidarity. As the Wobblies said, “An injury to one is an injury to all.”
Why should young people give a damn?
It’s up to us to keep the labor movement going. If we don’t start leading then the movement may die out. We need to set an example for the generations who come after us and prove ourselves to the generations before us. If we don’t care then nobody else will. We are the young people, the future.
What is your favorite song at the moment?
John Lennon, “Imagine”
What is your favorite saying or quote?
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead
What are you hopes for the future of the labor movement?
I hope someday, people of all political affiliations and walks of life will realize that the labor movement is the people’s movement. Everybody should be on board with this movement. We are labor! It is time for our society to have social and economic justice, true democracy, equality, hope, and peace. We are the 99%, and we need to start acting like the 99%! Labor must join forces with the Occupy Movement. This is history in its making. It’s up to us to make sure our movement stands for something and is never forgotten.