As Omak-Okanogan recovers from floods, Green Machine is on the scene to help two members in need
The WFSE/AFSCME Green Machine – the union’s resource center on wheels – spent much of May going from worksite to worksite in a vast swath of Eastern Washington. Here is one story.
Pictured: Anthony, Tanya, and their kids with WFSE/AFSCME Council Reps Rick Nesbitt and Addley Tole and the 100% Union pizza, water and juice we brought them.
by Sam Jewler
WFSE/AFSCME Council Representative
As we drove across northeast and central Washington in the Green Machine, it became evident how much work our members have done to help prepare our communities to face this year’s flooding. While we were out visiting worksites talking about the 100% union campaign, members had been dispatched to help flood relief volunteer efforts.
The governor on May 12 declared a state of emergency in Okanogan, Ferry and Stevens counties and 17 other Eastern Washington counties facing flood risk.
It hit home to us on this Green Machine tour.
When Omak DSHS shop steward Anna Guzman alerted us that two of our union brothers and sisters where struggling to deal with the flooding in their basement, we wanted to see if there was a way we could lend a hand while we were in town for the night.
Local 1299 members Anthony Gomez and Tanya Steele have been DSHS employees and WFSE/AFSCME members for 10 years and two years respectively.
They live right next to the Okanogan River, but didn’t have flood insurance because the tall levee between their home and the river had never been breached.
However, the flood that hit the Omak-Okanogan area this past weekend (May 19-20) was the largest in 46 years. While it didn’t breach the levee, the ground became oversaturated and water began seeping up through their basement floor into their home.
Anthony said he hates to take time off under regular circumstances, but after staying up until 3 a.m. pumping water out of the basement and cleaning up, he could not get ahead. The water just kept coming.
We stopped by and asked how we could help. We ended up bringing pizza, water and juice for Anthony, Tanya and their three kids. We wanted to show them we value them and their contributions to their union and to Washington.
When asked what one thing she would want people to know, Tanya said she wanted everyone to know how much she values her union brothers and sisters for the support. The union has their back.
Disaster relief fund: Members affected by the Eastern Washington floods or other natural disasters can apply for disaster relief from the Foundation for Working Families, run by the Washington State Labor Council: https://wfse.org/foundation-working-families
