AFSCME in Chicago – We Fight, We Win

by   |  August 07, 2006

By AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee AFSCME’s 37th International Convention began today in Chicago. We are here in the Windy City to chart a new course and adopt a bold, new program for our union. At this Convention, we won't just acknowledge the challenges we face. We will boldly confront them and the 21st Century Initiative is our plan of attack. I'm proud of this plan. I'm proud that the members of the International Executive Board believe in this plan. And I'm proud that it has been endorsed overwhelmingly by our councils and local unions. We began on this course in 2004, when delegates to our 36th International Convention in Anaheim, CA, acknowledged the crisis we faced -- out-of-control corporate power and influence, privatization of our jobs, soaring health care costs, loss of retirement security and several threats to collective bargaining. The delegates established the 21st Century Committee, charging it to examine every aspect of our union and recommend strategies that would give us more power and prepare us to fight hard -- and win -- on multiple fronts and in multiple places. The 21st Century Committee received input from AFSCME leaders and members across the country through meetings, town halls, national conferences, online surveys and much more. These recommendations will strengthen our union. They are the key to a bolder union and a brighter future. I know this week will be a watershed for our union and for our priorities.