Blog Post
My name is Ahsaki Hardy, and by day I work for Clark County in the District Attorney’s office, but my work doesn’t stop there. I’m also the Chief Steward for Clark County, elected by my coworkers to represent them on the job. On top of that, I sit on the Executive Board of SEIU Local 1107, I serve as Secretary-Treasurer for AFRAM 1107, and I’m active in nearly every caucus—Lavender Caucus, Latino Caucus, Racial Justice Committee, Political Organizing Committee, Climate Change Caucus—because I believe in showing up for my union family in every space possible.
One of the SEIU wins I’m most proud of came in my second year as Chief Steward. A group of my coworkers—seven in total—were accused of FMLA fraud. Six were union members, and one was not, but I believed in her too. She even paid $2,000 out of her own pocket so she could be represented by the union.
Management moved fast—they tried to terminate all of them. But I wasn’t about to let seven people lose their jobs without a fight. I sat at the table and negotiated a last chance agreement. That agreement meant they could keep their jobs, but for three years they had to follow strict guidelines: any misstep, and management could let them go. It was strict, yes—but it was still a job, a paycheck, a way to keep food on the table for their families.
The alternative was termination. Period. No second chances.
Because of the fight we put up, those workers stayed on the job. And now, almost three years later, I can proudly say all six members are still employed and are about to complete their agreements successfully. That’s a win for them, a win for their families, and a win for our union.
I’ve had many victories as a steward, but this one stays with me because it shows exactly why we have a union. When management comes at us hard, SEIU members don’t fold—we organize, we defend each other, and we make sure nobody stands alone.
That’s what being union is all about, and that’s real worker power.