For Immediate Release
Thursday, August 27, 1998
AFSCME Delegates Tell of Organizing Challenges at International Convention
Honolulu, Hawaii —The results of a poll conducted by Peter Hart Research show that half of all working Americans would join a union if they had the opportunity. Unfortunately those who choose to do so often face extreme and, in some cases, illegal opposition from employers. High-priced union busters, threats, intimidation and even termination of employees are some of the tactics that are used to stop unionization.
It’s a story that Bernard Ralph, a corrections officer (CO) in Baltimore, Maryland; Paula Payne, an administrative assistant for the City of Coeur D’Alene, Idaho; and Blanca E. Paniagua, a public accountant for the Family Services Department in Puerto Rico know all too well.
The delegates’ testimony in support of organizing came on the heels of passage of an AFSCME amendment that would have the effect of raising $7 million additional dollars for organizing and political action programs.
The increased revenue would be used to hire more organizers, fight efforts to privatize public services, and bolster grass-roots political action programs.
