For Immediate Release
Friday, January 11, 2002
2001 Marks Banner Year for AFSCME Organizing — 60,000 New Workers Vote for AFSCME
WASHINGTON —The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, completed one of its most ambitious organizing efforts ever, with 60,000 workers voting for AFSCME in 2001. As the nation's largest public service employee union, AFSCME's results make it one of the most successful organizing unions in the AFL-CIO.
Campaign victories in both the public and private sectors made 2001 a banner year for AFSCME. "Several years ago AFSCME made a commitment to grow our union and we backed that up with more staff and financial resources," AFSCME International President Gerald W. McEntee said. "Despite the challenging economic climate, we are making dramatic gains due to our aggressive efforts. In 2001, we targeted $25 million toward the organizing program and ended the year winning 80 percent of our elections."
AFSCME stepped up its organizing efforts last September with its 2001 Organizing Convention — a first-of-its-kind gathering to celebrate its organizing victories and chart a new course of growth to build more power for America's working families. Following the convention, more than 35,000 new members in 14 states and Puerto Rico voted for AFSCME during the final months of 2001.
Both Maryland and Kentucky are states where AFSCME worked to extend the right to unionize to large new groups of public service employees. Last month, in the largest union election ever for state workers in Kentucky, 5,000 state social and employment services voted for AFSCME. This was AFSCME's third victory in as many elections since Gov. Paul Patton issued an executive order in May granting state workers collective bargaining rights.
In addition to the 10,000 total new members in Kentucky, other major victories in 2001 included 3,500 state college and university employees in Maryland; 7,200 state social service employees in Puerto Rico; and 12,000 San Diego home care workers.
"We will continue to organize at a record pace in 2002 to help every worker who wants to win a voice at work because there are still hundreds of thousands of men and women who want a voice at work and believe a union can give them that voice," President McEntee added.
