My name is Amber Dunn, and I am a member of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 545, living in Charlotte, NC, where I deliver mail from the United States Post Office downtown. My union runs Stamp Out Hunger, the largest one-day food drive in America, held every year on the second Saturday in May, and I am honored to serve as the Food Drive Coordinator for my Branch.
North Carolina currently doesn’t allow public sector workers like me to have union contracts, but it’s still worth fighting together in unions to improve safety and pay for the benefit of our families. Even without collective bargaining, unions like mine can make a difference. No one is going to look out for fire fighters like we do, and when we work together, we’re able to make gains, especially locally.
Our union has a motto for the retirees: “union passion never retires.” So while I am retired, I’m still involved with NATCA on a national level and with the local union in Raleigh. Having a union job gave me the security and safety to do my job well, but it also gave me a sense of camaraderie with the people I work with. Staying involved lets me give back to our union and to all working people, and I want to do what I can to support the community that has supported me.
Our union is changing big-time, and that’s what motivates me. When I was in the apprenticeship program, I was the only woman in the program all four years. We’re intentionally working to become more diverse by opening up the doors for everybody because we are the future of the labor movement.
I’ve been a laborer in show business for 18 years, and I love every part of it. Everyday we’re creating experiences that last for a couple of hours in real time but provide memories that our patrons will keep forever. Our industry moves and grows in sync with Charlotte, and our work directly reflects the culture of our town.
What drew me to running for office was the need for working people to have a voice on the City Council, someone who would make sure democracy works in a way that treats workers fairly and justly. For me, that’s making sure we get paid livable wages and have safe places to live in homes we can afford.
Member Spotlight is a new, recurring blog post series intended to highlight and connect the dots between the programs and priorities of the NC State AFL-CIO and the leaders and activist members of our affiliates who make it all possible.
Member Spotlight is a new, recurring blog post series intended to highlight and connect the dots between the programs and priorities of the NC State AFL-CIO and the leaders and activist members of our affiliates who make it all possible.
If you’re following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, then you might know that we kicked off a new storytelling project last week — something different from anything we’ve done before. This new project will showcase the amazing North Carolina union workers who help make America work!
