Women’s History Month
Ruth Kiker: Fighting for Equality

She’s working to ensure that every member has the opportunity to succeed!

For Ruth Kiker, a 21-year state employee, equality takes many shapes – women’s rights and fairness included – but at the center of it all is equal opportunity. It’s why she became a union steward and passionate advocate. 

“I choose my union because it gives each of us the opportunity to raise our voice for what’s important,” she says. “I’ve learned to stand up for myself and want to empower my fellow union members to do the same.” 

Ruth was a part of the member-led committee who created Local 1000’s New Employee Orientation program, a statewide effort to recruit new members into the union family so that they can join the effort to build a stronger union. “We are state employees, but more than that, we are union workers,” she says. 

Among the many women whose actions provide her with inspiration, two come to mind: her mother, who demonstrated the power of independence, and Senator Kamala Harris, whose poise, strength and determination is a beacon for “what all women can be, ” and who says, “If you’re fortunate to have opportunities, it’s your duty to see that others have opportunity as well.”