Serious About Public Service

Serious About Public Service

New SEIU member, Jesus Duran, works for Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation. He weatherizes the homes of low-income families, helping them increase efficiency in their heating and cooling systems and reduce energy costs. On June 15th he celebrates 10 years with the county.

While he was born and raised in Arizona, Jesus worked in California for a number of years as a member of the Steelworkers’ Union. When he returned to Arizona, he noticed a big difference, not only in wages, but in the relationship between Pima County employees and county management.

“I was frustrated that wages seemed to be stagnant while the cost of living continued to go up and morale went down,” he said. “And I felt powerless to make any changes on my own.”

Admittedly, Jesus was a little skeptical at first about what a union could actually do in a “right to work” state. He knew from experience however, that when people are “standing together, we can accomplish anything.”

Today, he’s excited about the progress and knows the stronger our membership is, the better we can do at the table. He believes that happy employees are productive employees, and that makes for a better Pima County - for county workers, management and the community we all serve.