Home > Members Only > AFSCME Conventions > 35th International Convention - Las Vegas (2002) > Speeches > President Gerald W. McEntee's Keynote Address to the AFSCME 35th International Convention

President Gerald W. McEntee's Keynote Address to the AFSCME 35th International Convention

June 24, 2002

Sisters and brothers, it's great to be with you in Las Vegas.

A city in a right-to-work state where trade unionists have built one of the highest per capita union memberships in the nation.

A union town with 50,000 culinary workers — members of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union — men and women whose hard work will help make our convention a success.

When AFSCME comes to Las Vegas, we always show our support to our sisters and brothers. On Wednesday, we're going to hold a rally to stand with workers in downtown hotels who still don't have a contract.

It's time to get these workers some justice!

I am proud we're here with our sisters and brothers from the State of Nevada Employees Association. They're leading the fight for collective bargaining, and making our union the voice for Nevada's state employees.

And I am proud to be here with you — the men and women who make this union great.

You are the heart of our union... the soul of its battles... the power behind its victories.

Every day, you stand up for dignity, justice and respect for America's working families.

You battle the bosses at the bargaining table to keep them from turning back the clock and rolling back our victories.

You fight politicians from balancing their budgets on the backs of our members.

Across this nation, you provide the services America depends on — in its schools, hospitals, mental health facilities, prisons, parks — the kinds of services that keep our nation moving forward.

And you organize. Whether it's marching on the boss for a fair first contract or making house calls on an organizing drive, you organize to grow our union and build more power for workers.

We come to this convention with an extraordinary list of accomplishments to celebrate. Accomplishments, I believe, that began with the bold and visionary step made by the delegates at the 1998 convention in Hawaii.

In 1998, we faced a critical decision.

We could grow our union and build more power by organizing, or suffer more assaults at the hands of ruthless privateers and anti-worker politicians.

We could rest on our laurels and boast about the past, or we could focus on the future and build an even better... and stronger... and more powerful... union.

Sisters and brothers, in Hawaii this union had the courage to choose the path to more power. We decided to grow. We decided to fight. We decided to organize like never before.

As a result, we come to this convention as the greatest fighting union... in... this... country!

We're beating back the privateers. We're winning at the ballot box. And we're helping thousands of workers gain a voice at work by organizing with AFSCME.

Sisters and brothers, I am proud to stand with you today and say that over the last two years, in countless campaigns, more than 100,000 workers have said yes to AFSCME... 100,000 working men and women!

That's progress! That's success!! That's AFSCME!!!

On the island of Puerto Rico, over 20,000 workers have joined our union, including 8,000 social service employees, and 6,000 corrections workers who voted "yes" just last month.

In Kentucky, 2,000 health care workers, 3,000 corrections workers, and 5,000 social service workers have chosen AFSCME Council 62.

In Maryland, we've had 25 elections on 11 campuses. Today, more than 4,000 university employees have made AFSCME their union, and are now part of Council 92.

Last year, in the nation's largest union election, 12,500 San Diego home care workers voted for AFSCME/UDW. Now, they've got a first contract with better pay and health benefits they can count on.

And just two weeks ago in Butte County, California, UDW added 2,400 home care workers in an election they won by almost 20 to 1.

In Missouri, in a unit where more than 70 percent of workers signed cards for AFSCME, 5,000 patient care workers won voluntary recognition.

In New York State, 11-hundred law enforcement professionals came back to AFSCME Council 82, just two weeks ago.

And that's just the beginning.

Food service workers from Florida to California...

Bus drivers from Wisconsin to Illinois...

Home care workers in New Jersey, California and New York...

Community college workers in Massachusetts and Head Start workers in Ohio.

They've all said "yes" to our union. And the victories go on and on.

I want all of our new members to stand up. And I want everyone in this hall to stand up and welcome our new members to this union and this convention.

Our new sisters and brothers are here today in part because of AFSCME members who helped them open the doors to dignity and respect. I'm talking about our Volunteer Member Organizers.

Nearly 700 sisters and brothers who gave their talent and their time — to make house calls, and talk to workers about why being union makes a difference.

Members from New York, Illinois, and Iowa... Minnesota, Indiana, and Texas... From New Jersey, Wisconsin, Washington State, and Connecticut.

Members from all over who went all over.

Whether they left their homes for a Saturday, a weeknight, or weeks at a time, VMOs are the backbone of our organizing effort. There isn't anyone who can talk to unorganized workers like a member of AFSCME.

We all owe these members our thanks. They've stood up for us. Let's stand up for them.

Sisters and brothers, our organizing success shows us this union knows how to fight and never give up.

But we see that commitment all the time in our great union.

Look at our sisters and brothers in Washington State.

Last year, they went out on strike, to fight for the respect they deserve.

But they didn't stop there.

This year, they won a 14-year battle for collective bargaining.

But they didn't stop there.

When Washington's business association tried to repeal the new law, our sisters and brothers fought back.

They put the pressure on — with faxes, emails and phone calls.

But they didn't stop there. And they didn't just fight for themselves.

They got the business coalition to pull their petition to repeal our new rights. And then they got them to back off on right-to-work and leave prevailing wage and collective bargaining alone — in the legislature and at the ballot box.

That's not just a victory for AFSCME. That's a victory for the House of Labor. That's a victory for workers everywhere.

Stand up, Council 28, so we can give you a hand.

Washington State isn't the only place where we've won new rights.

In the last year, our political power has won collective bargaining executive orders for state employees in Missouri and Kentucky.

There have been only three other state executive orders on collective bargaining in the entire history of the United States — in Illinois, Indiana, and Maryland. And our union made every single one of them happen.

But it hasn't been easy. We've had to build real political power — the kind of power governors and mayors recognize and respect.

Like the power of our sisters and brothers in Minnesota.

When Jesse Ventura tried to send their health premiums through the roof, they made the tough decision to go on strike just days after the horror of September 11.

The governor called our members unpatriotic. But they stood their ground. And they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with firefighters and police officers, EMTs and others who put their lives on the line in New York City, and then went to Minnesota to support us.

Our members shut the state down. But they didn't go out for a dime or a dollar. They went on strike for dignity and respect. And they won.

Last week, they won another victory when Ventura announced he'll be a no-show in the next election.

That's what it's all about. The power to organize. The power to fight. The power to strike for what's right.

The power to fight the privateers.

Just ask ARAMARK how OCSEA took back a food contract by showing how state workers could do better work at a lower price.

Ask CCA how our sisters and brothers from SPU in Puerto Rico got their government to pull the plug on each and every CCA prison contract.

And ask Bechtel how our sisters and brothers from DC 37 beat Rudy Guiliani's plans to privatize the search and recovery work at Ground Zero.

Many of you may remember that DC 37 faced internal challenges when we met two years ago in Philadelphia. Since then, the International has helped put that union's house in order.

Today, under the leadership of Lillian Roberts and the other officers, DC 37 and its 125,000 members are regaining their well-deserved position as the voice for New York City public service workers.

But, I say to all our members — not just those in DC 37 — we cannot stop now.

We need more power — organizing power, workplace power, bargaining power, and more political power.

And with states facing a $50 billion budget shortfall, we must stand together like never before. We must remind politicians of their responsibility to make thoughtful and responsible choices that benefit all Americans, not just a privileged few. And when they don't, we've got to fight like Illinois Council 31 did when their governor proposed massive cuts and layoffs. Those sisters and brothers fought like hell.

Now, let's talk about the greatest fight that we didn't win — the fight to put Al Gore in the White House. As a result, American workers are under attack by an anti-worker president who didn't even win the election for the office he holds.

Just weeks after getting in, the Bush administration issued four anti-labor executive orders.

Then, they did away with ergonomics regulations that were 10 years in the making.

They pushed through a $1.3 trillion tax cut for corporations and the wealthiest 1 percent — a tax cut that is tearing state budgets apart and putting Social Security and Medicare at risk.

And they've attacked AFSCME members directly. They've refused to honor a contract with FAA employees. And they took away the collective bargaining rights of AFSCME clerical workers at the Department of Justice.

George Bush says that for these workers, "having a voice on the job is a national security threat."

But we know that the real threat in this country comes from an Administration that shuns working families and sides with Big Business — like Enron, Global Crossing, Tyco, Arthur Anderson, and so many more.

An Administration that wants to give millionaires $800 billion by repealing the estate tax — and taking more money from Social Security, health care, defense and education.

An administration that serves the wants of wealthy people and ignores the needs of working people.

Sisters and brothers, we deserve a better America. That's why we've got to grow and fight back.

And the way we fight back is simple.

We do it by taking back the United States Congress from the rich and powerful. And we put it where it belongs — in the hands of the American people.

Let's elect a pro-worker Congress. Let's fight like hell to elect candidates who will fight like hell for us!

Like Loretta and Linda Sanchez from the state of California.

Let's stand with our friends — like those in the U.S. Senate who've stood with us.

Like South Dakota Council 59. They're standing with Tim Johnson.

Missouri Council 72. They're working for Jean Carnahan.

Iowa Council 61. They're battling for Tom Harkin.

And our councils in Minnesota will defeat Norm Coleman — a privateer — and re-elect Paul Wellstone — the greatest ally of working people in the U.S. Senate.

If we want to protect Social Security and Medicare...

If we want to win a real Patient's Bill of Rights...

If we want to make prescription drugs more affordable...

If we want the federal government to step up to the plate and provide the financial support to shore up state budgets...

Then we've got to elect people who care about our issues, and hold them accountable.

That goes for the states, too. 36 governors' seats are up for grabs. And I know our sisters and brothers from Missouri and Kentucky will agree with me on this:

The people who hold the keys to the Governor's mansion are the same people who hold the keys to collective bargaining.

That's why our sisters and brothers here in Nevada are fighting for collective bargaining by standing with Kenny Guinn — a Republican governor who's promised to stand with them.

It's why we're working for Bill Richardson in New Mexico, who's pledged to restore collective bargaining if he's elected governor.

It's why HGEA and UPW are working to stop Linda Lingle — a pro-privatization poster child — from winning Hawaii's governor's mansion.

It's why we're fighting to get more Governors like Jim McGreevey. He knows it's wrong that more than half of New Jersey's largest companies paid only $200 in business taxes last year, while average citizens — like our members — paid ten times that amount.

It's why we're fighting everywhere — in Michigan, Alaska, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Illinois to elect Governors who will put people before profits and workers before corporate interests.

If there's one thing America learned on September 11, it was the value of working men and women.

It was the value of public service workers.

When terrorists attacked America in September, our citizens turned to public employees.

Public employees rushed to that field in Pennsylvania, raced to the Pentagon, and ran up the stairs in those towers. AFSCME members from DC 37 and CSEA were the EMTs, the 911 operators, the recovery workers, and others who made this country proud on that day and beyond.

We think especially of our rescue workers and our CSEA members who worked in those towers. Some of them lost their lives. Others helped their co-workers get out. And today, they're helping each other get through it.

We thank them, and we think of them every day.

That, sisters and brothers, is public service. It's what we do. It's who we are.

We are the first responders...

We are the first to be called...

We are the first to serve...

And without fail... we are the last to yield.

That is why we will not bow our heads or silence our voices when it is time to speak up about the pressing needs of this nation. About our vision for Homeland Security.

For AFSCME, Homeland Security is about a solid Social Security system.

It's about preserving Medicare, and giving every child a quality education. It's our job and our responsibility to keep the public school doors open in America.

Homeland Security is about welfare reform that pushes workers ahead instead of holding them back. Reform that gives them real jobs without pushing us out of our jobs.

It's about jobs that pay a living wage, provide decent benefits, and promise a secure retirement.

And it's about a federal government that provides the resources to help states lower their Medicaid costs and balance their budgets.

That, sisters and brothers, is Homeland Security. That, sisters and brothers, is America.

That, sisters and brothers, is AFSCME.

So, I'm going to ask you to think about your commitment during this convention week.

What will you do personally to build our union and advance our vision of a safe country and a just America?

What will you do to help us take back the Congress and fill those 36 governor's seats?

Will you work nights and weekends knocking on doors and making phone calls?

When it comes to our PEOPLE program: Are you giving?

Will you work for greater participation so your council or local reaches — or exceeds — 10 percent?

Will you do what it takes to fight the privateers?

Will you bargain contracts that ban privatization?

Will you take a stand — and refuse to back down no matter what?

And when it comes to organizing, our greatest priority — the single most important way we build strength and power — will you help unorganized workers win the rights that you have?

Will you become a Volunteer Member Organizer?

If your council doesn't have an organizing program, will you fight for one?

Will you tell your brothers and sisters that we're only strong if we grow?

And we can only grow if we all make organizing a priority?

Sisters and brothers, you have the power — we all have the power — to build this union and continue to lead the fight for working families across America.

No matter where you live, no matter what job you do, no matter what role you play in this union — every one of you can help AFSCME grow and build more power. More power in the workplace. The ballot box. At the bargaining table.

The great abolitionist Frederick Douglass said it best when he said, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning."

Sisters and brothers... if there is NO struggle... there is NO progress.

No one knows that more than our sisters and brothers from Illinois Council 31.

When their governor proposed laying off thousands of state employees, cutting services, closing prisons and other facilities, our sisters and brothers went into battle and fought back with everything they had.

The governor attacked them with furloughs. He demanded that they reopen their contracts, give back their pay increases, and reduce their health benefits. He declared war on AFSCME members.

And today, they still face cuts, closures and layoffs.

But I want to say something to these sisters and brothers.

You may not have won all of the battles in your state. You may be tired. And you may face great challenges down the road.

But no one knows how to fight like you do. You are indeed one of the most powerful unions in AFSCME, and your decision to stand together and fight... and fight... and fight has set an example for us all. An example that every council, affiliate and local in this room can look to for inspiration.

An example that sends a message that waging a battle is just as important as winning a battle.

An example that will tell governors and mayors and politicians everywhere that — win or lose — AFSCME will always fight back! AFSCME will never back down!

Council 31, stand up so we can applaud your courage and your strength.

With that in mind, sisters and brothers, let's join together. Let's commit ourselves to helping more workers win a voice — an AFSCME voice — on their job.

Let's commit ourselves to growing politically — not just at election time — but all year long by holding politicians accountable.

Let's commit ourselves to growing more power in the workplace, by taking on the boss and never letting up.

Let's commit ourselves to fighting the privateers.

Let's commit ourselves to putting George Bush out of work in 2004.

Let's commit ourselves to fighting anyone and everyone who stands in the way of working families.

Sisters and brothers, will you stand with me?

Will you stand for justice. Fairness. Dignity. Respect.

Will you commit to grow this union and never stop?

Because when we fight, we win!

When we grow, we win!

You are AFSCME, sisters and brothers.

We are AFSCME.