After 7 years working at the IKEA store in Kent, WA, Mary Eide transferred to the distribution center in Spanaway during the midst of their organizing campaign to join Teamsters Local 117.

A year into their first contract, Mary and the rest of the members are starting to grasp the collective power they have as a Union.

Their business representative, Nancy Santos, tells them, “No you can’t ask for more; you can demand more!”

Mary also leans on the amazing shop stewards to keep management honest, and keep the members informed.

“The friendships we've made have all been amazing.  Our girls have learned to interact with all kinds of people, and have become a lot stronger."

What should you know about Mary? She is helping girls become strong, thoughtful, and hardworking young women as a Girl Scout troop leader. She and the head troop leader, Anita Tarlao, who is a union member working at Fred Meyer, have helped raise these girls from kindergarten through high school.

And this troop isn’t just about selling cookies! They travel, volunteer, learn how to build budgets, set goals, but most of all – they learn that being kind to others and working hard can really pay off! Mary knows firsthand that the Girl Scouts is a great way to keep kids focused on their goals and keep them out of trouble.

This Teamster is a proud mother of three; her daughters are five and sixteen years old, and her son is ten years old.

She’s been with her husband since she was fifteen, and they both think he’s pretty awesome! She does everything for her family – working nights, commuting over two hours a day and running her kids around on the weekends.

For Mary – it’s all worth it!