Staff

Filiberto Nolasco Gomez, M.A., Latin American History
612-624-1104 
nolas011@umn.edu

Growing up in a working-class Mexican community in eastern Los Angeles Filiberto was observant of the grind his parents and community members went through to fulfill their daily needs and fight to live with dignity. These insights led to an extensive breadth of union experience having worked with UNITE HERE Local 11, UAW 2865 and SEIU 284. Determined to tell stories that media ignores he started his own media company El Huateque five year ago quickly becoming a platform of expression and commentary. His writing and podcasts have drawn attention to abusive dynamics within the music industry, new slumlord of South Minneapolis, gentrification in Los Angeles and the struggles of everyday latin people. He is excited to leverage the scope of these experiences to sustain and expand the vision and breadth of Workday Minnesota.

Amy Livingston, M.A., Philosophy
612-624-5020
livingst@umn.edu

Amy has been a labor educator at the Labor Education Service since 2015. She has taught classes on a wide range of topics for union members and other workers, including steward trainings and courses on collective bargaining, grievance handling/contract enforcement, labor history, labor law, union leadership, and internal organizing. Additionally, Amy has taught and co-taught classes on Janus and right-to-work; racial justice in the union; the history of race and labor in the U.S.; labor and other social movements; and labor and mass incarceration. Amy has a particular interest in working with unions and workers who are struggling toward racial, gender, and disability justice in their workplaces and unions.

Prior to joining the LES, Amy worked as an internal organizer and representative for two teachers’ unions in Illinois: GEO, IFT/AFT Local 6300; and GEO, IFT/AFT Local 6297.

Meron Negussie, Program Coordinator
612-624-5020
negus008@umn.edu

 

Meron joined LES as a Program Coordinator in January 2018. She is a steward, an organizer and serves as a member of the Executive Board with AFSCME 3800. Meron has 5 years of service at the University of Minnesota. She is studying Business Management with a focus on Labor Studies. She is a first generation immigrant from Ethiopia. She is passionate about social justice and often volunteers her free time to work with organizations with similar views. Meron also loves animals and wishes to have a hobby farm in the future.

 

John See, M.A., Advocacy and Political Leadership
612-624-6039
jsee@umn.edu

 

 

John started producing television programs in 1982 while an undergraduate at the U of MN as a director, writer, editor, and on-air talent. With these skills he began his work at LES in 1984 by cofounding "Minnesota At Work" which became the longest-running, regularly scheduled cable television in the U.S. about labor and working people, and which ended in 2009. He was one of the founders of the Union Producers and Programmers Network (UPPNET). For 30 years he has taught video production classes and produced many video projects for LES. He served on the board of the Minneapolis Television Network 1989-1996, eventually as board chair, and was instrumental in promoting MTN's non-profit internet service to unions around the state. In 1993, John began teaching classes in website creation and internet skills and is responsible for dozens of local unions' websites. In 2000 he became the webmaster for Workday Minnesota. He has been active as a representative on two University governance committees. He is a long-time member and Trustee of IATSE Local 219, an associate member of the Minnesota Newspaper Guild and Typographical Union, and a past member of Teamsters Local 4. John received his Master of Advocacy and Political Leadership (MAPL) M.A. in 2010 at the University of MN-Duluth. 

 

Cassie J. Williams, M.A., Education

williac@umn.edu

 

Cassie earned a B.A. in Literature and Creative Writing and a M.A. in Education from Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU). With a passion for education, she has an extensive background in student affairs, diversity, equity and inclusion. Her background includes teaching human relations, global studies, and facilitating workshops focused on cultural competency, equity and inclusion. She was also a member and corresponding secretary for MSUAASF at SMSU. Through her involvement in multiple art and rural community based organizations, Cassie has a special interest in how art is used to address social and racial inequalities as well as rural and urban partnerships. Her experience and passion for others led her to commit to  empowering  union workers to challenge inequities in the workplace, strengthen union bonds by creating spaces of support, and to promote professional  growth and leadership by providing workers with tools needed to fight for social and economic justice. When she is not teaching and advocating for the rights of others, she enjoys spending time with her family and writing poetry with aspirations of one day completing multiple works of poetry.