Paula Fisk

Paula Fisk is a fifth generation resident of San Luis Obispo County. Her Grandmother, who grew up to be a rancher and a talented horse woman, was born on the old Flint Ranch which is now the Training Center for the California National Guard, Camp Roberts. Paula was raised on her Grandmother’s cattle and horse ranch on the Estrella, east of San Miguel.

Paula left San Miguel and continued her studies at Bakersfield College, San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, and Southern Illinois University (SIU). She began a long Federal career as a Community Readiness Consultant (CRC), with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force. She was the Director of Army Community Services for the 7 th Light Infantry Division at Fort Ord in Monterey and at Sharpe Army Depot in Stockton.

Later in her career she worked for the U.S. Department of Justice as a Political Asylum Officer. She also worked for the Social Security Administration and the Office of Hearings and Appeals, for 12 years, first as a paralegal and then as a Hearings Office Manager in both the Sacramento and the San Diego offices.

Paula became a caregiver in 1991. Her client is her Mother, Elizabeth Joyce, age 84. Elizabeth was diagnosed with a mental illness years prior to 1991 but was unable to access the proper medical services to address her mental illness until Paula, through the courts system, was made her conservator.

Since 1991, Paula attempted to hold a full time job and provide care for Elizabeth but because of the lack of employer based work/balance programs, particularly for female caregivers, Paula found herself going in and out of the work place over the years. Finally, Paula took an early retirement from the federal government because of these same gender based prejudices towards female care givers.

Paula is particularly sensitive to the equity and fairness rights that employees so richly deserve and was the former Regional Vice President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), for Region IX, which covered all the western states including Hawaii and Alaska, and was instrumental in the unionization of all Social Security Hearings Office support staff personnel in all of these offices.

Paula became a UDWA member in 2001, almost eight years ago, and has supported the Union through good times and bad. Paula is a spirited advocate for workplace change in support of care givers and recommends that all care givers familiarize themselves with the protections afforded them by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and understand how unlawful discrimination is defined towards care givers.

Currently, Paula is the second Chapter Chair of San Luis Obispo County, who was voted in, only after the resignation of their beloved and dedicated first Chapter Chair, Ms. Debbie Class. She is also a Commissioner on the SLO County Commission on the Status of Women, a member of the SLO County IHSS Advisory Committee, and the Advisor for the Vandenberg Air Force Base Special Needs Families Network

At this particular time in the evolution of the UDWA and the SLO County Chapter, Paula’s commitments are to the education of the membership on the benefits of ongoing UDWA membership including the tried and true adage, “strength in numbers”, friendship, support groups, SLO County Senior Center membership benefits, Coast Caregiver Association benefits, Veteran‘s Administration benefits for caregivers, respite care options and getting the word out to the non-members why it is so important they join us in strengthening the only U.S. labor union for caregivers, that is managed 100 percent by caregivers.

Although the SLO County UDWA Office is located in Grover Beach, Paula is looking forward to its relocation soon to a more centrally located address so that is can be more accessible to all union members in the County.

To speak to Paula directly, she can be reached at her home office at 805 226-0225, or a message can be left for her at the Grover Beach UDW office. She welcomes the input and feedback from all members.