In August, 1991, hard-line communists attempted a coup d'etat in the Soviet Union. The coup leaders sent a Red Army Tank group to seize the Soviet Union's seat of power, the Supreme Soviet. They were met there by the President of the Russian Republic, Boris Yeltsin, who persuaded the tank group to join the forces of democracy and not support the coup.


Later when asked why he did that, which was incredibly brave but potentially fatal, he said he was inspired by the Union leader of Solidarność, the Polish Free Trade Union, Lech Wałęsa. (That strike resulted in the legalization the non-Communist controlled Unions in Poland and led to the collapse of the Communist government in Poland).


Wałęsa was asked where he found the courage and inspiration to go on strike against the Communist government in Poland. He said he was inspired by the life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King.


Dr. King had been asked in an interview what inspired him to become a leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King said it was the courage of Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white.


So there you have it: Rosa Parks through her example of courage and her refusal to suffer indignity, injustice and discrimination is responsible -- a generation after she refused to give up her seat on the bus -- for the final downfall of International Communism. How? By inspiring Dr. Martin Luther King, who inspired Lech Wałęsa, who in turn, inspired Boris Yeltsin not to yield to the tanks and forces that would have turned back the clock in the Soviet Union to tyranny, injustice and the rule of power, not law.


When you are faced with a choice: either to be a victim, unknown to history, to give up your seat and slink, tail between your legs, off to the back of the bus or to oppose indignity, unfairness, favoritism and discrimination, I want you to know that I and our Local Union, AFGE, will stand besides you, to make history with you and give tangible results to the high-minded words in Article 3, Section 2.A:



All employees shall be treated fairly and equitably in all aspects of personnel management and without regard to political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, parental status or disabling condition, and with proper regard and protection of their privacy and constitutional rights.

The parties agree that in the interest of maintaining a congenial work environment, Agency employees will deal with each other in a professional manner and with courtesy, dignity, and respect. To that end, all Social Security employees should refrain from coercive, intimidating, loud or abusive behavior.

I'm an officer in AFGE because I think things in our workplaces need to be better and, that we need to be treated better!


We are more than the last interview or list or goal we completed. We are more than the last detail or promotion for which we were passed over because a pet finally had a year in grade and is being informally groomed for an SSA career beyond interviewing non-stop from 9 until 4:30 (because the fast trackers are mentoring, on special assignments and preparing training and other duties not offered to the rest of us); we are more than unnamed, unappreciated drudges who follow in the wake of the fast-trackers cleaning up the messes they left!


I can't promise you that your personal courage in standing up for yourself will change history 30 years from now; I even can't promise we will win your grievance or EEO complaint or ULP; but, I can promise you that nothing will change for you or anyone else if you silently "suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune".


Be inspired during Black History Month, and every month of your tenure at SSA and your whole life, by the example of Rosa Parks' simple act of declaring her dignity and standing up for her rights!


Ralph C. de Juliis, President
AFGE Local 2505