Posted on November 7, 2006

On Sunday afternoon, we lost a young and dedicated SEIU organizer, Shannon Marie O’Driscoll, after she was hit by an SUV while crossing a street in a town outside of Boston.

She was struck while leafleting at a New England Patriots game to encourage fans to support Question 3, which would help 12,000 family child care providers unite together to win a greater voice and raise standards for the kids in the care.

I met Shannon nine days ago when I dropped by a Quincy phone bank. She was enthusiastic and 100 percent committed to making a difference. She loved being a part of a movement of women, of child care providers so committed to the kids they looked after.

Shannon had been a member of both Local 1199 and Local 509 when she worked as a relief worker at Elliott Community Center and as a child care worker with her mother. She became involved with the community organizing group ACORN before coming on board to help unite other child care providers in the state.

Helping people improve their lives was her calling, but Shannon summed it up simply: “I have worked union and I have worked non-union and I know the difference.”

The brothers and sisters of Change to Win send prayers to Shannon’s family, and join them in mourning her loss.

Let us celebrate Shannon’s life, her determination, and pride in working towards the common good. We celebrate her dedication to making workers voices heard, and we will keep her in our hearts as we today vote for the change she tirelessly worked to achieve.