Val Holthus has worn many hats: computer programmer, property manager, teacher, city council member.
Now she’s adding union president to her resume.
kAmw@=E9FD E@@< @G6C 2D p?@<2 w6??6A:? t5F42E:@? |:??6D@E2 AC6D:56?E yF=J ` 2?5 H:== =625 E96 E62496CD F?:@?[ H9:49 92D 2AAC@I:>2E6=J b[___ >6>36CD[ 7@C E96 ?6IE EH@ J62CD]k^Am
kAmw@=E9FD 362E @FE EH@ @AA@?6?ED 7@C E96 ;@3[ 82C?6C:?8 dc A6C46?E @7 E96 G@E6 E9:D DAC:?8]k^Am
kAm{6|@J?6 r@C82C5 @AE65 ?@E E@ CF? 7@C C6\6=64E:@? 27E6C 7@FC J62CD 2D AC6D:56?E]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mr@C82C5 DE6AD 5@H?k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmr@C82C5 H2D 2 A9JD:42= 65F42E:@? E62496C 2E ~I3@H rC66< t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@= :? qC@@<=J? !2C< 7@C af J62CD[ 2?5 9:D H:76[ p??6[ H2D 2 DA6649 2?5 =2?8F286 A2E9@=@8:DE 2E $2?5 rC66< t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@=] %96J C6E:C65 E@86E96C E9:D J62C 2?5 2C6 =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ EC2G6=:?8 – A2CE:4F=2C=J E@ !@CE=2?5[ ~C68@?[ 2?5 pF4<=2?5[ }6H +62=2?5[ H96C6 E96:C EH@ D@?D =:G6[ 2?5 E@ E96:C 423:? FA ?@CE9]k^Am
kAmr@C82C5 D2:5 9:D AC@F56DE 244@>A=:D9>6?ED 5FC:?8 9:D EH@ E6C>D 2D AC6D:56?E H6C6 8C@H:?8 >6>36CD9:A – gg A6C46?E @7 p?@<2\w6??6A:? E62496CD 36=@?865 E@ E96 F?:@? H96? 96 DE2CE65[ 4@>A2C65 E@ he A6C46?E E@52J – 2?5 92G:?8 EH@\J62C 4@?EC24ED C2E:7:65 :? E96 62C=J A2CE @7 E96 D49@@= J62C 3@E9 :? a_`d 2?5 a_`f] %92E H2D ?@E E96 42D6 7@C E96 AC6G:@FD 4@?EC24E H96? 32C82:?:?8 =2DE65 ?62C=J `` >@?E9D 2?5 2 DEC:<6 2FE9@C:K2E:@? G@E6 H2D F=E:>2E6=J D6E]k^Am
kAm“x 5:5?’E 5@ E92E 2=@?6[” r@C82C5 D2:5[ 42==:?8 E96 244@>A=:D9>6?ED 2 “4@==23@C2E:G6 677@CE]”k^Am
kAmp?@E96C A@:?E @7 AC:56 7@C r@C82C5 H2D 5:DEC:4E G@E6CD D2J:?8 “J6D” E@ 2 Sach >:==:@? 3@?5 C676C6?5F> :? }@G6>36C a_`f]k^Am
kAm“(6 <?@H 9@H :?DECF>6?E2= H6 H6C6 :? A2DD:?8 E92E =6GJ[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw@=E9FD H2D 2E E96 9625 @7 E96 F?:@?’D 42>A2:8? 677@CED 2D 492:C @7 E96 v@G6C?>6?E2= #6=2E:@?D r25C6 7@C E96 A2DE 6:89E J62CD]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D >2?J[ >2?J ?:89ED @C82?:K:?8 E62496CD” E@ 86E @FE E96 G@E6 FA F?E:= A@==D 4=@D65[ D96 D2:5[ 3FE “:E H2D H@CE9 :E]”k^Am
kAm%96 C676C6?5F> A2DD65 H:E9 EH@\E9:C5D @7 G@E6CD :? DFAA@CE @7 E96 >62DFC6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m#@@ED :? 8@G6C?>6?E[ 65F42E:@?k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmw@=E9FD 76=E 2E 9@>6 2D E96 492:C @7 E96 v@G6C?>6?E2= #6=2E:@?D r25C6[ 92G:?8 DA6?5 >2?J J62CD D6CG:?8 E96 4:EJ @7 p?5@G6C :? G2C:@FD 42A24:E:6D]k^Am
kAm$96 D6CG65 D:I J62CD @? E96 !2C<D 2?5 #64C62E:@? r@>>:DD:@? 2?5 ~A6? $A246 r@>>:DD:@? 367@C6 ;@:?:?8 E96 !=2??:?8 2?5 +@?:?8 r@>>:DD:@?[ H96C6 D96 H2D ?2>65 492:C 96C ?:?E9 J62C]k^Am
kAmw@=E9FD H2D 6=64E65 E@ E96 p?5@G6C r:EJ r@F?4:= :? a_`c] w6C 4FCC6?E E6C> 6IA:C6D 2E E96 6?5 @7 a_`g]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 AC6D:56?E @7 pwt|[ w@=E9FD H:== 36 @? =62G6 7C@> 96C E6249:?8 A@D:E:@? 2E p?5@G6C w:89 $49@@=] $96 92D H@C<65 2E E96 9:89 D49@@= D:?46 :E @A6?65 :? a__a] $96 =65 E96 H@C< AC@8C2>[ 4@@C5:?2E:?8 H@C< 6IA6C:6?46D 7@C DEF56?ED :? E96 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 96=A:?8 E96> =62C? =:76 D<:==D C6BF:C65 E@ 36 DF446DD7F= 6>A=@J66D] $96 2=D@ 25G:D65 strp 2?5 C2? E96 D49@@= DE@C6]k^Am
kAm!C:@C E@ 96C 42C66C :? E6249:?8[ H9:49 3682? :? E96 |:??62A@=:D !F3=:4 $49@@=D DJDE6>[ w@=E9FD >2?2865 4@>>6C4:2= C62= 6DE2E6 2?5 H@C<65 2D 2 4@>AFE6C AC@8C2>>6C 7@C 2 42?5J 4@>A2?J :? w@A<:?D]k^Am
kAm%6249:?8 H2D D@>6E9:?8 D96 925 2=H2JD E9@F89E 23@FE AFCDF:?8]k^Am
kAm“x <?6H 2== 23@FE E92E H2J @7 =:76[” w@=E9FD D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6C >@E96C H2D 2? 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@= E62496C[ 2?5 96C 72E96C H2D 2 52:CJ 72C>6C :? '6C5:[ |:??6D@E2[ H96C6 D96 8C6H FA]k^Am
kAm$96 C6>6>36CD 96=A:?8 96C >@E96C 4@CC64E A2A6CD]k^Am
kAmq@E9 @7 96C A2C6?ED H6C6 24E:G6 :? E96:C C6DA64E:G6 F?:@?D]k^Am
kAm“x 8C6H FA :? 2 F?:@? 9@FD69@=5[” D96 D2:5] “(92E x 8@E :? >J =:76 H2D 3642FD6 @7 E96 F?:@?]”k^Am
kAm%96 D2>6 9@=5D ECF6 7@C 96C 25F=E D@? 2?5 52F89E6C[ D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw@=E9FD 62C?65 96C >2DE6C’D 568C66 :? 65F42E:@?2= ADJ49@=@8J 7C@> E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:??6D@E2 27E6C DEF5J:?8 D@4:2= DEF5:6D 2E $E] r2E96C:?6 &?:G6CD:EJ]k^Am
kAmw2G:?8 DF>>6CD @77 92D 366? H@?56C7F= 7@C 96C @FE5@@C 9@33:6D[ A2CE:4F=2C=J A2CE:4:A2E:@? :? 32DD 7:D9:?8 E@FC?2>6?ED] $96 2?5 96C 7C:6?5D 2C6 CF??:?8 E96 $FA6C:@C w:<:?8 %C2:= :? A:646D[ 2?5 w@=E9FD 92D 2 5C62> @7 G:D:E:?8 6G6CJ ?2E:@?2= A2C<]k^Am
kAm%96C6 >2J 36 =6DD E:>6 7@C DF>>6C 7F? 2D AC6D:56?E]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m{@@<:?8 29625k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmw@=E9FD’D E6C> 3682? yF=J `[ 2?5 D96 92D 2=C625J H@C<65 E@ 56G6=@A 2 G:D:@? DE2E6>6?E 7@C E96 F?:@?i “%@ 25G@42E6 7@C AF3=:4 65F42E:@? AC@76DD:@?2=D :? E96 p?@<2\w6??6A:? $49@@= s:DEC:4E 2?5 E@ F?:E6 @FC >6>36CD E@ 7F=7:== E96 AC@>:D6 @7 AF3=:4 65F42E:@? E@ AC6A2C6 6G6CJ DEF56?E 7@C DF446DD]”k^Am
kAmw@=E9FD 92D D66? C6=2E:@?D9:AD H:E9 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 2?5 E96 $49@@= q@2C5 :>AC@G6 @G6C E96 =2DE 76H J62CD[ 2?5 D96 9@A6D E@ 3F:=5 @? E92E >@>6?EF>]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 2== @? E96 D2>6 E62>[” D96 D2:5] “x E9:?< E96 >6>36CD @7 E9:D 3@2C5 2C6 @A6? >:?565 2?5 2C6 H:==:?8 E@ H@C< H:E9 E96 AC@76DD:@?2=D H9@ 92G6 ;@3D :? E9:D D49@@= 5:DEC:4E]”k^Am
kAm~?6 :>AC@G6>6?E w@=E9FD H@F=5 =:<6 E@ D66 :D E62496CD 92G:?8 >@C6 @7 2 G@:46 :? 4FCC:4F=F> AFC492D6D] $96 C676C6?465 E96 :>A=6>6?E2E:@? @7 #625:?8 (@?56CD =:E6C24J 4FCC:4F=F> :? 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@=D DA64:7:42==J]k^Am
kAm“%92E 5C@G6 @?6 E62496C E@ BF:E[” D96 D2:5] “%62496CD D9@F=5 92G6 2 =@F56C G@:46 H96? 49@@D:?8 4FCC:4F=F>]”k^Am
kAm|@C6 E92? d_ E62496CD 5:5 A:=@E 3@E9 y@FC?6JD 2?5 #625:?8 (@?56CD 4FCC:4F=F> :? z\d 4=2DDC@@>D 367@C6 E96 3FJ :? a_`e]k^Am
kAmr@C82C5 :D 4@?7:56?E E92E w@=E9FD H:== 25G2?46 E96 F?:@?’D H@C< 2D AC6D:56?E[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“$96’D 8@E 2 =@E @7 6IA6C:6?46 W:? A@=:E:4DX[ 2?5 E9:?8D 2C6 >@C6 A@=:E:42= ?@H E92? 6G6C[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6C 3:886DE 492==6?86 H:== 36 “4@?E:?F2==J C64CF:E:?8 2?5 C6E2:?:?8 E62496CD[” r@C82C5 D2:5[ 6DA64:2==J 27E6C y2?FD G] pu$r|t r@F?4:= b`[ 2 &]$] $FAC6>6 r@FCE 42D6 E92E 566>65 F?:@?D’ 72:C\D92C6 766D 492C865 E@ ?@?\>6>36CD F?4@?DE:EFE:@?2=]k^Am
kAmp??6 {:?58C6?[ 2 #@@D6G6=E |:55=6 $49@@= DA6649 2?5 =2?8F286 A2E9@=@8:DE[ 3682? 96C 7:CDE E6C> 2D G:46 AC6D:56?E 2=@?8D:56 w@=E9FD]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i@=:G:2]2=G6D96C6o64>\:?4]4@>QmkDEC@?8m@=:G:2]2=G6D96C6o64>\:?4]4@>k^DEC@?8mk^2mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.