Rest in Power, Mary Austin

Mary was a strong and powerful union leader, as well as a long-time leader on the Twin Cities campus, and sister campuses around Minnesota. She started working at the U in 1990 and has been both a clerical and technical employee in the School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology. Through her years in both bargaining units and both locals, she has touched many of our lives. For years, Mary would wear several different “hats” for the local serving as president, treasurer, chief steward and contract negotiation team co-chair. She helped lead our union’s fight to protect the Child Development Center when the University Administration wanted to close it down. We not only kept it open, but expanded access. Mary has been on the strikeline twice, and without fail, came up fighting. Mary was a fighter until her last breath - many of us had the pleasure of seeing Mary in person at AFSCME’s Day on the Hill last week and at a recent Member Action Team (MAT) campaign planning meeting. Mary was committed not only to standing up for the rights of her fellow union members on the job, but was also a strong feminist and a passionate advocate for Civil Rights.  

Mary served on many campus-wide and AFSCME committees such as the American Association of University Women, the campuswide Safety Committee, and the Staff Day Planning Committee. She was also a founding member of the University’s Coalition for a Respectful U and has played a key role in our union’s effort to tackle workplace bullying.

Rest in Power, Mary. We will miss you. We will keep up the fight for everything you stood for, worked for and created.  

We extend our thoughts and prayers to Mary’s husband, John.

With deepest condolences and solidarity,

Mary’s Union Family at AFSCME Locals 3937, 3800, 3801 and 3260