Candidates

Dave has been a federal employee since 2011. Before coming to DOL and joining Local 12, Dave worked as an attorney at the National Labor Relations Board, where he was a proud member of the NLRB Professional Association. There, Dave served as steward in two different bargaining units, on several bargaining committees, as an executive committee member, and as a fill-in grievance chair (equivalent of head steward). Dave joined Local 12 when he started at the Solicitor's Office in 2021 and has served as a steward. Dave regularly volunteers for the Federal Unionists Network, including doing organizing work and giving trainings, and has received multiple awards for his legal pro bono work, including volunteering at workers' rights clinics.

As president of Local 12, Dave would:

• speak for our members to the press, Congress, and anybody else who will listen about the issues that matter to us and our working conditions

• teach our membership about AFGE, its delegate structure, and how to build power within our union and our labor movement as a whole

• ask for our members' views about and your help with grievances, lobbying, negotiations, and internal AFGE matters

• create and grow ways for members to talk to each other both in the workplace and outside of it, through informal Local 12 lunches, chat groups, member email lists, and more

• empower and make it as easy as possible for members to volunteer their talents to the Union, not just in grievance representation and negotiations, but in planning social activities, tracking relevant legislation, building partnerships with allied organizations, and most importantly, talking to your coworkers about joining Local 12 to build our collective power

Bill has been a member of Local 12 since the day he joined the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in June of 2000.
He has been on several bargaining teams for office reorganizations, the move team for the BLS shift to Suitland Federal Center. In the Fall of 2024 he volunteered to join the ranks of Local 12's stewards. In the Summer of 2026 he was appointed to be the Acting Agency Vice President for BLS.

Outside of work, Bill has spent a number of years running Science Fiction Conventions which increased his knowledge of meeting running and the delegation of activities.
As Vice President of Local 12, Bill wants to push for a few things to lead to more openness in the operations of the local:

• Meeting minutes sent within one week of the conclusion of the meeting.

• Agenda sent one week prior to meeting along with updated minutes to ensure updates and corrections are made in advance of the approval vote.

• Replenish the ranks of the Agency Vice Presidents and add to the number of Stewards.

• Return to hybrid meetings switching between Francis Perkins Building and SFC.

• Organize Happy Hours in DC and near the FPB.

• Support regular office hours at both FPB and SFC.

• Provide monthly reports related to the number and types of grievances and inquiries received and acted on by Local 12.

Elsbeth has been a federal employee with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) since spring 2024, and a member of Local 12 since September 2024. She comes from a proud union-strong family: her grandfather served the United Auto Workers (UAW) union as a shop steward for decades, and her father participated in organizing and negotiating for  collective bargaining in the poultry plant he worked in. She currently serves Local 12 as a steward and recently attended the AFGE Leadership Summit alongside AFGE local leaders to assist in preparing the strategic plan for national AFGE for the next five years. 

Outside of work, Elsbeth has been involved in many organizations in leadership roles. She served as both treasurer and president of the Iota chapter of Sigma Alpha, a professional sorority at the University of Arkansas. She currently serves as Vice President of the National Capital Area Chapter of the Gesneriad Society, a group dedicated to the conservation and cultivation of both common and rare plants in the same family as the African Violet. She also serves as the secretary/treasurer of the American Zitterhal Club, a national group of pigeon fanciers who raise a rare German breed of pigeon.

Elsbeth has many goals for the Local, including: increased transparency, solidarity across agencies, connecting with other AFGE Locals in the area, and fostering positive relationships between members.

As head steward, Elsbeth would:

• Ensure every agency is represented by a steward.

• Be present in both FPB and SFC every week, with scheduled office hours in each location.

• Arrange various committees to support Local 12's needs and increase involvement.

• Assist in developing a YOUNG program within our Local to support union members under 40 and increase membership.

Sarah joined DOL as an economist in March 2020 (previously at BLS and now at ETA), and asked to join the union right away. Since then, she has become a steward, a member of multiple committees, and most importantly, a friendly face always looking to get folks more involved in the union. She is proudest of her organizing work when someone she doesn't know yet stops her in the hallway with "Aren't you that union lady? Can you help me with something?"

Sarah joined For the Good of the Local in response to union leadership's refusal to be financially transparent with membership. Sarah's primary goal is to help Local 12 be a model union for financial stewardship and transparency.

We are all the union, and a union's money is its members' money. Members deserve full, transparent accounting of all finances. Members must direct how their money is spent. Members own the money, not the Executive Board.

Sarah has been fighting for union democracy in all respects, with a focus on finances. She has also been a member of the Finance Committee of the Federal Unionist's Network DMV (FUN-DMV). In these challenging times for federal workers, all our resources must be used effectively in the fight.

Prior to becoming an economist at DOL, Sarah worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. She has degrees in Economics and Computer Science from Case Western Reserve University. She lives in DC with three pet bunnies.

As Treasurer, Sarah would:

• always remember that the money belongs not to her or to the Executive Board, but to the membership

• let membership decide spending

• provide complete, transparent accounting in meetings and in writing (actuals and budgeted)

• work collaboratively with the Budget Committee and support the Audit Committee in their needs

• improve stewardship of union funds

• increase revenue via fundraising, membership drives, and reasonable interest rates on savings

• never countersign a check without confirming that the membership has approved the expense at issue

• continually learn from other labor organizers in the Federal Unionists Network and other federal locals

• hold regular office hours

Sarah would love to discuss all of this and more with you, and can be reached at sarah.mattson129@gmail.com.

Christine is the daughter of two career federal workers, one of them a veteran, and the granddaughter of a veteran and public servant. During the six-week federal shutdown in 2025, Christine joined other furloughed federal workers participating in informal meeting with senators to ensure those furloughs did not result in firings, and to promote awareness for all the work federal employees do when properly funded.  

Christine became a dues-paying member of Local 12 the day after the 2024 Election to better support her union siblings in defending the value of government workers to American life. Despite being a member for months, Christine did not receive general membership meeting emails until a union steward intervened on her behalf. 

Outside of work, Christine enjoys reading, exercising, and participating in service work individually and with other alumnae sisters of Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Incorporated.

As Secretary, Christine would make sure members' emails, contact information, and other communications were up-to-date and responsive to questions pertaining to the local's governing documents. Additionally, she is committed to:

• Sending meeting minutes to members within three business days following the corresponding General Membership Meeting

• Send meeting packets to members with multiple business days' notice, to allow for suggested revisions and an updated draft of meeting minutes from the prior month's meeting

• Maintain up-to-date records for dues-paying members and ensure their personal information is utilized to receive crucial information related to agency meetings, the state of arbitration cases, and upcoming events

• Vow to not use AI-generated graphics in communications materials, including event fliers

Christine would love to hear any ideas, improvements, suggestions you may have at cming52@gmail.com. 

Taylor is currently a budget analyst at BLS, and before that worked in accounting and finance. While he intends on leveraging his experience to perform the duties of this role, what he really hopes to bring back to the Local is fiscal transparency and accountability that has been sorely missed for too long under current Local 12 leadership. We all are the Union and we all want and deserve one that works in the best interest of its members. It is as assistant treasurer that Taylor feels he can best work with and for members towards that goal.

Gabriela Auguste

Brandon Marino

Sarah Starrett

Kelly Woods

Christine Machovec 

Elsbeth Hamilton 

Gabriela Auguste

Christine Machovec 

Brandon Marino

Chelsea Rudman

Sarah Starrett

Kelly Woods

Bruce Andersen

Rebecca Davis

David Hershfield

Brandon Marino

Peter Meyer

Gabriela Auguste

Brandon Marino

Sarah Starrett

Kelly Woods

Christine Machovec

Elsbeth Hamilton 

David Hershfield

Brandon Marino

Peter Meyer

Chelsea Rudman

Elsbeth Hamilton