We are saddened to report that on November 13th, our Oregon AFSCME family lost Damon Millican.
With a bold, warm, larger-than-life personality, Damon was an activist, actor, teacher, peer mentor, most recently working as a Safety Specialist at Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare. At Cascadia, he was a leader in organizing a union and then went on to be elected to the bargaining committee. Damon was a proud steward, active in the labor management committee, and a member of Oregon AFSCME’s Emerging Leaders program. He was a fierce and tireless advocate for his co-workers and cared deeply for his clients and peers. Damon was transparent about his own lived experience and used it to provide support, encouragement, and guidance for others who experienced similar life challenges. He was passionate, vocal, and always brought a positive attitude and genuine curiosity to his union work. Damon was about to run for local union office this week and this loss will be felt at his worksite and in our union for a long time.
Cascadia is providing support for members through the Employee Assistance Program and as always, Oregon AFSCME is also here if anyone needs support or assistance.
Damon was dedicated to improving the lives of those around him. We send our thoughts to his family and hope they know how valued he was by his union and co-workers.