Pam joined the staff of NOLSW in February 2008 as the mid-Atlantic organizer. Previously, Pam worked as a staff attorney at the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau (MDLAB). While she was at MDLAB, Pam served on the healthcare committee and bargaining committee and also processed grievances.
As an attorney with MDLAB, Pam represented clients in federal and state public benefits cases. Her involvement with NOLSW at MDLAB led her to an interest in labor law. She left MDLAB in 2006 to take a position as National Negotiator for the National Treasury Employees Union where she negotiated contracts with federal agencies and prosecuted national grievances.
In October, 2012, Pam was appointed to serve as Financial Secretary/Treasurer by the National Executive Board, and was elected to that position in 2013 and 2016. Pam became President in July 2018.
Rachel began her career as a public interest attorney with Legal Aid Chicago, specializing in Family Law. While at Legal Aid Chicago, Rachel became an active member of NOLSW/UAW local 2320, serving as the local unit’s President and bargaining team member.
Rachel joined the staff of NOLSW/UAW Local 2320 in January 2016, representing members in the Southwest and Southeast regions. She was elected Financial Secretary/Treasurer in December 2022.
Vicki is a Senior Case Manager in the Homeless Prevention program at Heartland Alliance. Heartland Alliance is a social service agency that provides assistance to low and moderate income people in such areas as housing, medical services, supportive services to seniors and children, job training and financial assistance. Vicki began to work for the agency in 1982 and has worked in most of the programs at Heartland Alliance.
Vicki was one of the orginial workers that organized the program in 1984. Since that time Vicki has served her unit as chairperson, union representative, grievance handler and on the bargaining team. She is now the National Vice-president for Human Services and is also one of the three trustees that make sure our finances and records are in order. Vicki is looking forward to retirement so she can spend more time with her four grandsons and one granddaughter.
Donis joined the NOLSW staff as an the West Coast Organizer in January 2008. Donis had been a staff attorney at the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau (MDLAB) for five years. While at MDLAB, Donis was the unit chairperson, on the bargaining committee, handled grievances, testified and lobbied for increased legal services and worked with the Community Action Program (CAP), the political action committee of the UAW. Donis also worked as a community organizer for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).
Laura began her union career as a rank and file member of New England Health Care Employees Union District 1199 out of Hartford, where in the mid 1990’s she organized her workplace and led 300 members out on successful strike where the Union won a pension, moving part-time employees to fulltime status based on hours worked and employer paid health care. Laura was then hired on as an Organizer with 1199 where she represented State of Connecticut Employees in over 20 different state agencies. Laura won through a grievance with the State of Connecticut judicial board Hazardous Duty Early Retirement for employees of Department of Development Disabilities.
Laura moved to Chicago in 2007 and did new organizing for 7 years with the National Treasury Employees Union, working on the nation’s recent largest Union organizing campaign of 44,000 TSA Officers and organizing physicians with Doctors Council SEIU. Laura joined the staff of NOLSW in March 2014. She continues to live in Chicago – and happy her family joined her from Connecticut her daughter Shannon and granddaughter Lexus
In her free time – Laura is a monthly staff writer for GC Magazine based in Chicago, loves taking her granddaughter Lexus to social justice events, Broadway shows and museums, hanging out with friends attending street festivals, concerts and organizing the community to be more involved in social justice endeavors.
Katelyn joined the NOLSW staff in February 2020. She started her legal career at Metropolitan Public Defenders in Portland where she tried over 50 jury trials with an acquittal rate of 60 percent.
Prior to joining NOLSW, Katelyn was a staff attorney at Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) just shy of 10 years. She joined her first bargaining team her second month on the job at LASO and was on every subsequent bargaining team during her time there. While at LASO she was a general practitioner with a focus on Family Law. A New Hampshire native, she has lived in Oregon for over 20 years.
Michelle developed her interest in labor law as a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York (LASNNY). While at LASNNY, Michelle was active in the bargaining unit Consolidated Legal Aid Workers, NOLSW/UAW Local 2320 (CLAW) and served a term as unit chairperson and bargaining committee member during intense contract negotiations. Michelle also was a member of the labor-management and hiring committees, handled grievances, and worked to get members more involved.
Before joining NOLSW, Michelle was Associate Counsel for CSEA Local 1000 where she assisted members challenging notices of discipline, facing administrative investigations, appealing investigation findings, and helped correct CBA violations by filing improper practice charges against State employers with New York’s Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).
Missing negotiating contracts, helping with grievances, and working with NOLSW to help legal services workers, Michelle joined the staff in October 2021.
Ellen joined the staff of NOLSW/UAW Local 2320 as an Administrative Assistant in August 2006. Prior to that time, she worked for Local 15 of the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET) as an Administrative Assistant in the Pension and Welfare Funds. Ellen was promoted to Union Administrator in 2014. She, along with Maura, carries out the Administrative functions of the Union.
