In the late 1960's and early 1970's, Mary Smith was a hearing assistant in a Region IV OHA office. In those days, hearing assistants were required to travel with the Administrative Law Judges (then called hearing examiners) to other cities and offices to hear Social Security cases. As she became acquainted with other hearing assistants, she became aware of poor working conditions and abuses imposed on OHA employees. Many were afraid to complain for fear they would lose their jobs.

Mary took up the standard and fought for what we now take for granted. She made a number of inquiries and was eventually contacted by Thomas Bullington, a national AFGE representative. He went to her home and explained the process of forming a union. He suggested Mary start a small local in her office (Lexington, Kentucky) and then try to get one in Louisville, Kentucky.

Barbara Brown (Dell'Area), one of the Lexington employees, had just transferred to Louisville, and Mary contacted her. The two then contacted all employees in each office – after hours and at their own expense – and finally persuaded some to sign applications to join. It took about six months and in 1974 a local was established in each office – Local 3627 in Lexington and Local 3628 in Louisville. Since there were only five or six members in each office, the two locals were merged into one – Local 3627.

Many employees were afraid to join. Even after the merger, the Atlanta Regional Office refused to recognize the local. Mary then took the bold step of attempting to get all Atlanta Region OHA offices involved, in the assumption that Regional Office would then have to recognize the Union. Mr. Bullington encouraged her and helped Mary prepare a petition for employees to sign, asking for a vote for a union.

She took a hearing assistant directory and chose a person from each OHA office to contact. Some people she knew, most she did not. She spent countless hours at home each night, telephoning these individuals, introducing herself, and explaining what she was trying to do. She asked if she could mail them a petition for employees to sign to request union representation, many employees were afraid to sign. Mary personally promised that no member of management would ever see the petitions. After many phone and mail contacts, each of the 28 OHA offices finally had enough signatures for get AFGE to ask the Department of Labor to have an election for a union.

Mary personally bore the expense of the phone calls, postage, and travel.

The election was held by secret ballot, similar to the way that local elections are held now. Mary and Barbara made trips to Atlanta to see the ballots mailed, then to see them picked up from the post office, and finally to witness the counting. They were elated when almost 90% of the employees voted for union representation. Local 3627, with regional representation, was officially formed and recognized.

Mary tells us she has never regretted the time, sweat, time, sweat, blood, and money she spent to help accomplish her mission. After months of frustration, Local 3627 was the first local in the nation with regional recognition. Since then, Local 3627 has accomplished much for its members. The first contract was negotiated in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the AFGE District 6 office was located. It was only about 20-some pages long, but it was a rude awakening to management. As soon as the first annual meeting was held in Atlanta and officers were elected, management put the local to the test. Management in one office reassigned an employee who was attending the meeting. Mary went to Regional Office management and got the problem corrected. This was a turning point: employees began to realize what it meant to be protected by a union. The local was tested many times that first year until management finally decided the Union would not sit by and watch employees abused. It was a long fight but, through the efforts of Mary Smith and others like her, management began to show respect for their workers and for the Union.

Mary says that her purpose for organizing the Union in Region IV was to try to help all those employees that could not or would not stand up for themselves, out of fear of losing their jobs. She retired in 1986 but remains a member of Local 3627. Today, Local 3627 has hundreds of members. It has represented employees on matters ranging from job termination to harassment to change in working conditions. It has participated in awards and assessment panels. Stewards and officers now receive official time to attend meetings.

Are there employees in your office you could encourage to join? If each dues-paying member were able to persuade only one person to join, think of how much more powerful the Local, the Council, and AFGE itself would be in looking out for employees’ interests.