Sept 2002

Helen Benson is the new Los Angeles County Chapter president. She is known as a quiet person who makes things happen, a person who listens first and then takes action, a leader who gets other people involved. “There's a time to speak and there's a time to listen. It is good to be an effective listener so you can hear what's going on and what people are doing. Then you can inspire them and push them to achieve to the highest of their abilities. Sometimes people just need a push,” she states.

The Dragon asked Benson what her goals are as president of Local 535's largest chapter. “As chapter president I plan to express to our members the need for people to volunteer and participate in all our activities so we can be a stronger union. And by being a stronger union, that helps our job performance and makes us stronger as county employees,” she replied.

Benson gave an example of how the union helps resolve issues at the workplace. Her department changed the boundaries of the district offices and workers found themselves driving greater distances to see clients, no minor issue in a town the size of Los Angeles, with a freeway system described as the world's largest parking lot. To solve the problem, the union and management held monthly meetings in which they adjusted workers' caseloads, factoring in the driving distances The committee also attempted to find ways to use bilingual workers more efficiently, such as by assigning them to geographical areas where their second language is most needed. The group is now looking at trying to unify the procedures followed by the different district offices.

Benson chairs the Local 535 Executive Board Adult Services Committee and is an In Home Support Services supervisor. With the aging of the population, these services were expected to get a large increase in funding to set up programs similar to children and family services, including a 24-hour hot line. However, the programs were never adequately funded, even during the high surplus years. Not only was the Department of Public Services never fully staffed, but with the budget cutbacks, a hard hiring freeze was implemented, which means that they will not fill vacant positions or hire new workers even when someone leaves. The new budget crisis is threatening the already understaffed department with layoffs. All of these issues are expected to hit the fan when the LA Chapter contract negotiations begin in December.

True to her social work profession, Benson sees the crisis as an opportunity and a challenge. She is ready to seize the time. “I try to be an uplifter, to say these are hard times and this is what we’re going to do about it. I have great expectations and I look to be able to enhance people. You have to know how to serve. You have to know how to give of yourself. If we can get more people to participate, I just know that our union will be stronger. Then our job security will be stronger.

“We need strong leadership, but a leader is only as good as the followers. And in order to be a good leader you have to know how to follow. You need a strong group that’s behind you to implement the policies and procedures, to be able to delegate and to work with a group of people.”

The union is launching an internal member organizing campaign. Benson is calling on members to attend steward meetings at their workplaces and chapter meetings and to help distribute literature. “We meet once a month at the union office. People will come up to you at work and say, ‘What happened at the union meeting?’ So you invite them. And sometimes you have to work a buddy system. You have to stop and pick somebody up. That’s how I got involved. Somebody stopped and picked me up.”

Mentoring and learning from others is an important part of the process of organizing and leading, and Benson learned a lot from her fellow LA Chapter members. “Annette Jeffries, our state president, is an inspiration to me. She’s a go-getter, she’s involved. She’s on the different committees, like the local’s executive board, where you learn what is going on in other counties. Marilyn Shepherd and I go back a long ways. I learned commitment and accountability from Marilyn,” she states.

Besides having her ear to the ground of the union, she also takes the pulse of the community. Benson is an avid joiner and attender of community groups and church activities. “I volunteer a lot of my time in the community to get involved and know what’s happening, where the need is and how to refer people. We have health fairs at different churches where you can exchange cards and tell people about APS, and children’s services, and give out the hotline numbers.” She also works as a volunteer giving away food with the Lend a Helping Hand organization.

“I want people to know they can contact me. If they’re not sure about something in the chapter they can let me know. If it’s something that I cannot handle, then I’ll refer it to the union representative. If people need help, I’m going to be there.”