Samantha Patino-Perez has given up her summer for a second consecutive year to serve as a NCAE Summer Member Organizer. The work of going door-to-door in soaring temperatures to sign up new members can be grueling, but Patino-Perez is doing it because she wants to continue her learning and growth as an organizer.
“At the rate things are going in North Carolina, there is so much work to be done,” said Patino-Perez, who is also serving as a SMO coach, where she is getting the opportunity to help other SMOs learn and grow as organizers.
“The more I learn about our union and organizing, the more passionate I am about this work. Also, I am getting to share my passion for organizing and labor history while growing our union and building our power.”
Patino-Perez is one of more than 100 SMOs across the state helping to grow membership this summer by knocking on doors, phone banking, building relationships and in an effort to grow leadership, recruit new members and build the union.
A math teacher at the Early Middle College in Guilford County, Patino-Perez was drawn into union work after being inspired by the NCAE rally in 2018. The seriousness of wanting to become an involved member prompted her to volunteer as a building rep. “Being an active member of my union is important to me because otherwise our public schools will not only remain as they are but will continue to get worse. I cannot afford for this to happen. The only way to fight back the attack on public schools is to be active in the union.”
Her mother, Rosa, was also influential in her decision to become more active in GCAE/NCAE. She worked as a custodian for 13 years for Guilford County Schools, but eventually left the school system and took a job with UNC-Greensboro for better pay. “Although my mother did not want to leave the school, she knew she was deserving of a better salary, and she believes that everyone should have the same opportunity. Like her, I am someone who cares about fighting for the rights of everyone and what she endured was a motivating factor for me.”
Patino-Perez was so compelled by her mother’s experience that she shared the story at a county commissioner meeting when GCAE was leading the fight for $15 per hour for classified staff. “I asked her if she was comfortable with me doing so and she was so excited! She insisted I tell her story because she knew if she was forced to leave a job she loved for equitable, fair pay then others were probably having to do the same.”
Public education has always been an important part of Patino-Perez’s life. From a young age, she has cared deeply about every person receiving a free, quality education and believes that is worth fighting for. She loves being a teacher but says the job is tough. “It takes everything in me and more, even on the best days. What gets me through and keeps me motivated is the hope I get from my work in the union. The hope of making things better for my students, myself and my coworkers all makes each day a bit easier.”
