“Just how are our young people going to make it as far as retirement, healthcare and day care assistance,” says the Alaska Public Employees Association activist. “We are in a society where you need two incomes. How are we going to deal with those pressures in the future?”

In January, Jeppsen will celebrate 30 years as an Alaska public employee. But it wasn’t until five years ago when her son left home that the regional administrative manager with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks got involved in her APEA local, the Supervisory Unit.

“I felt a need to provide support to the union,” says Jeppsen. “I wanted to be involved because I wanted to make a difference.”

Jeppsen is among thousands of AFT members who are being counted as a union activist. She has served on the Supervisory Unit’s constitution committee and the labor-management committee for training opportunities. She’s currently a member of the grievance committee and, most recently, was elected secretary-treasurer of the Supervisory Unit.

Volunteering for these union activities, says Jeppsen, is her “contribution back to the union. They’ve worked for me in the past. It is time for me to work for them.”

Jeppsen also is active in the union’s political and legislative efforts, hitting the pavement and making phone calls on behalf of candidates for the Alaska Legislature. “Just one vote can make a difference in an election and change our entire future,” says Jeppsen.

“Before I became active, I didn’t feel that the union did enough for me to warrant the monthly union fee,” she says. “But over the past 10 years, I have learned of all the programs they have available, and we more than exceed what we pay in monthly fees in terms of the benefits and resources available to us.”

Jeppsen, who was a first-time delegate to the AFT national convention in July, agrees with the AFT’s mission to not only advocate on behalf of members in the workplace but also to promote a broader social and economic justice agenda.

“You can count me in to be a supporter of the AFT and the direction it is moving in for our future,” Jeppsen says.