Union commitment

NEA Today, Jan 2003

[PROFILE]

Name: Virginia Benson

Job Title: Human Resources Assistant, Pasco County School Board Office, Land O'Lakes, Florida

What I Do in My Job: I take care of the applications for people who want to be employed as teachers and education support professionals in the district.

The Most Rewarding Part of My Job: Helping people go through the application process.

My Greatest Passions: My children and my grandchildren.

My Favorite Pastime: My union activities with the United School Employees of Pasco. I am an ESP vice president. I have served on the union's bargaining team and have dealt with employers and district administrators. I serve on all committees and am involved in political action and membership drives.

I am also a member of the Central Labor Council, which our union is part of. I have not missed more than a handful of meetings in the nearly 14 years that ESPs have been organized. I have found my work in the union to be fulfilling. I believe strongly in what I do.

My Community Involvement Includes: I am bound two to three days a week with union activities. When my children were younger, I participated in the Land O'Lakes Little League.