Walk In My Shoes
What’s Your Story? Fill out the form below.
In 150 words or less—accompanied by a picture of you at work…Help us walk in your shoes. We’re open to all union members, active, retired, laid off.
“We want rank and file members to help us to illustrate the rich, diverse tapestry of hard working men and women who make up the American labor movement. They are proud of their work and proud of the contributions they make to their communities,” explains Union Label Department President Richard Kline. “We want to demonstrate to American consumers and businesses that union labor gives added value in quality and reliability to products and services that are bought and sold.”
The pictures and stories we get will be published in the Label Letter and posted on the Department’s website—and perhaps in posters and other promotional materials. E-mail a Walk in Your Shoes to: unionlabel@unionlabel.org; or send by regular mail to:
Walk In My Shoes,
c/o Union Label & Service Trades Dept. (AFL-CIO),
815 16th St. NW,
Washington, DC 20005
What's your story?
Past Walk in My Shoes Submissions
Walk in My Shoes–Paul Hahn, IBEW Apprentice
Upon completion of high school I decided to serve my country by joining the United States Navy. I was trained to be a Hospital Corpsman, and served 10 years before deciding to separate from the military. During this time I learned many valuable leadership and...
Walk In My Shoes–Joey Newman, Composer and Musician
My goal as a composer is to bring comedy and drama to life. I try to find some sort of unique way to give a voice and support the drama, whether it is through instrumentation or through the composition process in general. Each composition is fairly unique, however,...
Scott Larsen, Conductor/Engineer Union Pacific Railroad
I am a Conductor and Engineer for Union Pacific Railroad based in Spokane, Washington and a member of United Transportation Union Local 1505. I also am the local’s legislative rep. I have worked as a conductor for the railroad for eight years and as an engineer for...
Perry Weller—IAFF Local 3468
I don’t have holidays off, I work sick, tired, battered and beaten. I do the unthinkable...I’m a firefigher and I am UNION! Even though our days aren’t full of saving babies, we have to ensure fleet readiness, perform business inspections for fire code violations,...
Alexandria Knox–AFM 447-70
I am a union musician. I am a member of the American Federation of Musicians Local 447-70. I am a solo bagpiper performing at those most memorable moments from weddings, to memorial services, to holiday parties. As a professional musician I spend my days practicing...
Walk in my shoes—John Bratcher, National Air Traffic Controllers Association
I’m often asked what it’s like to be an air traffic controller and what it means to do something high stressed. I summarize it in three thoughts: amazing, a privilege and a rush. Controllers work 365 days a year, seven days a week, 24 hours a day; late nights, early...
Walk in My Shoes–Cory McCray, IBEW
Coming out of high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but my mom called up the Department of Labor and asked for a list of all the available apprenticeships in Maryland. By pure luck, I ended up in the IBEW Local 24’s program. It appealed to me because the...
Walk in My Shoes–Ashley Beard-Fosnow, wife of Clint IronWorkers Local 10
My name is Ashley and I am a housewife. I live in Missouri with my husband and three babies. My husband, Clint, is an Ironworker and I love to brag to anyone I meet that he is a member of the Ironworkers Local 10. Before we met, my knowledge of organized labor was...
Rezaul Karim YELLOW TAXI CAB DRIVER— NEW YORK TAXI WORKERS ALLIANCE (NYTWA)
I was dreaming to come to the U.S. 27 years ago, while still a college student in Bangladesh. From 1990 to 2006, I applied every year to the Diversity Visa Lottery System until finally being granted immigration status along with my two kids. Today, the oldest one is...
Walk in my shoes–Lee Heise STEAMFITTERS LOCAL 439 EAST ST. LOUIS, IL
I worked non-union for two years before I joined the UA. I remember when I first started working non-union it surprised me how I was treated. I made decent money, $28 bucks a hour to weld straight out of school. Green as could be, 19 years old, I didn’t know a thing...
