Darlene Tinsley, AFGE: Release Staff of the Week

Darlene Tinsley is Secretary Treasurer of AFGE 3448, and she works for the Social Security Administration in Cleveland.  For the last six months, she has been on release to work on organizing, and, more recently, the Labor 2008 program.  She also served as a release staff member in 2004 and 2006.  She initially became involved in the political aspect of her union when she first was invited to a Political Coordinators Training and a labor walk in 2004. 

For Labor 2008, she works with AFGE locals – she recently ordered 13,000 flyers for AFGE locals throughout Ohio to send out with local union mail.  She also works with other unions in the Cleveland area to help them with phone banks, walks, worksite flyers, and mailings.  She coordinates a labor walk in Lake County, which she says is a crucial swing area, every Saturday.   

When we spoke to her at last Saturday’s walk, she commented about the first presidential debate that took place Friday night.  She was more impressed with Sen. Obama – she said, “He did look at McCain, maybe not as much as the moderator wanted them to look at each other, but at least he did look at him.  McCain did not look at Obama at all.”