AFSCME in San Francisco – 38th International Convention

by   |  July 28, 2008

This week nearly 6,000 delegates, alternates and guests have gathered in San Francisco for AFSCME's 38th International Convention. The Convention, with the theme “We Make America Happen,” convenes today and runs through Friday. The goal of unity will be an important one for our union as delegates continue building AFSCME's power to win strong contracts and elect leaders who will fight for working families. This exciting week gets started with President Gerald McEntee’s keynote address to kick-off the Convention. McEntee is expected to call on attendees to continue implementing the sweeping measures of the Power to Win plan, and to work harder than ever before to take back the White House for America's working families. Another highlight comes Thursday morning as Senator Barack Obama will address the AFSCME Convention live via satellite. We will be streaming his remarks online for AFSCME members. Check back on our website at afscme.org/convention or here on the Greenline for information on how to watch the speech and to view additional posts, photos, videos and more Convention coverage. U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore will also be featured Convention speakers, along with Speaker of the California Assembly Karen Bass and Governor Martin O'Malley of Maryland. Most importantly, though, the Convention is about charting the future course of our union. Delegates will vote on key policy resolutions and constitutional amendments to guide our union for the next two years. They will elect all of AFSCME’s International Executive Board members—president, secretary-treasurer and 32 vice presidents. In addition, our union’s new tagline, “We Make America Happen,” will be visible all week as it captures the critical role AFSCME members play in making our communities better places to work, live and raise a family. Throughout the week, members will attend educational workshops and visit action center booths, which cover such topics as political action, retirement security and our campaign to guarantee quality, affordable health care for all Americans.