Five Things

January 06, 2011

This message comes from Pres. Gerald W. McEntee and Sec.-Treas. Lee A. Saunders.

“We can no longer live in a society where the public employees are the haves and taxpayers who foot the bills are the have-nots,” — Scott Walker, new governor of Wisconsin

Public service workers are under an unprecedented attack. That quote by the new governor of Wisconsin is one example of the attacks we are facing across the nation.

The New York Times ran an article this week on the challenges we are facing, particularly from Republican governors and legislators who see long-term advantages in destroying the labor movement and public sector unions. You can read the article here.  

Also this week, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show had a segment about the efforts of right-wing politicians and media to scapegoat our members. It's an excellent analysis of these efforts and we encourage you to watch it. Click here to view.

These attacks are brutal and they are just the beginning. Every day there are more calls by our opponents for budget and tax cuts, the privatization of public services and the elimination of our collective bargaining rights. We are fighting back to make sure that our side of the story gets out.

Last month, we brought together 200 AFSCME activists, local leaders and retirees to meet with key experts and allies at a pension conference in Washington, DC. AFSCME activists and outside experts discussed the challenges we face, shared best practices and developed innovative messages and strategies to defend our modest pensions against this unprecedented assault. You can read more about the pension conference here.

Last month, we also launched the first in what will be a series of video responses to "Stop the Lies" against public service employees. Make no mistake. This is an all-out war on public services and the men and women who provide them. It is the fight of our lives. And to meet the challenge we need every AFSCME member to engage in this struggle together.