AFSCME Candidates to Meet in Historic Debates

by Cynthia McCabe  |  June 18, 2012

Art Pulaski

LOS ANGELES — On Wednesday morning at 10 a.m., delegates to AFSCME’s 40th International Convention will hear from the candidates for president and secretary-treasurer in two historic debates, unprecedented in the history of American labor.

Candidates for president, Danny Donohue, CSEA/Local 1000 president, and Lee Saunders, AFSCME secretary-treasurer, will answer questions submitted by delegates and selected by debate moderator Art Pulaski, the AFL-CIO California Labor Federation executive secretary-treasurer.

A coin flip determines the order of the debate and occurs in the presence of representatives from both campaigns Tuesday evening. During the day Tuesday, AFSCME delegates will receive cards on which to write their question for submission to the debate. Collection stations positioned at the back of the Convention hall are available for question card drop-off after the close of session Tuesday.

The 60-minute presidential debate kicks off with opening statements from the candidates, followed by questions answered in alternating order, and finally, closing statements.

In planning for the debate, both campaigns agreed that no demonstrations of any kind will occur during the proceedings so that all time is devoted to answers and statements by candidates. Demonstrations include applause or verbal outbursts.

A debate between secretary-treasurer candidates Alice Goff, AFSCME District Council 36 president, and Laura Reyes, UDW/Local 3930 president, follows for 30 minutes. After opening statements, questions follow for the candidates and a closing statement ends the proceedings. The same rules governing the presidential debate apply to the secretary-treasurer debate.

As of press time, the campaigns were finalizing plans for the debate and details are subject to change.