1 min read

Season 5, Episode 58

Taking on discrimination in the workplace helped Cole grow with AFGE

Picture of awfblog awfblog March 20, 2024

America's Work Force Union Podcast AFGE AWF

AFGE-Logo-Square@2x

 

Guest Name:

Tinita Cole

Guest Website:

afge.org 

Guest Social Media:

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

LinkedIn

Supportive Documents:

Our next guest for Women’s History Month, Tinita Cole, American Federation of Government Employees 6th District National VA Council Representative, joined America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about her journey through the union while dealing with discrimination and how the union helped her.

Seeing the union difference at a young age with both parents working with unions, Cole joined the AFGE as soon as possible after beginning work with the VA. After working at the VA and informing her coworkers of the benefits of a union, she began working up the ladder within the union. Cole talked about the discriminatory practices she faced while trying to progress due to being a female person of color and a union member, and how her union has supported and empowered her. 

Cole served as President of AFGE Local 2209 at the Dayton VA Medical Center for nine years. During her time as president, she helped protect all the employees in the hospital, except for the RNs and managers, work condition issues, discipline, discrimination and leave issues. The medical center is a full-service facility with everything a normal hospital would have, including a surgery center and long-term healthcare solutions. It has been in use since the Civil War. Cole talked about her history of contract negotiations with various directors and how thankful she is the new director is union-friendly.

In late 2023, the VA and the AFGE members at the VA Council earned a new contract. Cole said the new contract rewrote all but one of the previous contract bylaws and greatly improved member benefits. She believes this contract is one of the best for government employees nationwide. She discussed some new pieces of the contract, including how it compares to the previous one. 

Listen to the show above to hear more about Cole’s journey.

America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, American Alliance for Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North America, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, Survey and Ballot Systems, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.

SUBSCRIBE ON:

Group 342

Group 341

Group 343

Group 339

Group 397

Group 397