AFSCME honors its front-line heroes

Doreen Jones, NJ, Local 1199J (NUHHCE), addresses the Convention to discuss the bravery of front-line heroes. Photo credit: Daniel Jackson
By AFSCME Staff ,

There is no doubt that America’s communities would not have made it through the pandemic if not for the courage and perseverance of AFSCME’s front-line heroes. No matter their jobs, these brave public service workers stepped up during a public health crisis that has affected – and continues to affect – all our lives.

Doreen Jones, a nurse with more than 30 years of experience and a member of District 1199J (NUHHCE) in New Jersey, was one such front-line hero.

Addressing the Convention on Monday, Jones said nothing in her experience or her training could have prepared her for the COVID-19 pandemic – and then she got sick herself.

“There were days when I was genuinely scared I might not make it,” said Jones, who introduced a video honoring the essential work and sacrifices of front-line heroes like her. “And when I returned to work the next month, my eight-bed cardiac unit had been transformed into what looked like a MASH unit. There were people on ventilators everywhere. I’ll be honest – the first time I saw it, I cried.”

But she rolled up her sleeves and went to work.

“I know there are many people in this hall who have stories like mine,” Jones said. “It wasn’t just nurses on the front lines of the pandemic. EMTs, educators, caregivers of al kinds, corrections officers, people in public works, librarians, and so many more worked day in, day out, putting our lives on the line, because that’s what we do.”

Our nation owes them a debt of gratitude. See how these front-line heroes braved a once-in-a-century public health crisis and what motivated them to stand up for their communities and for each other.

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