For Immediate Release
Friday, June 28, 2002
AFSCME Presents First-ever "Star of Excellence" Awards to Honor Members Who Make the Union Shine
Awards presented at AFSCME's 35th International Convention in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS, NV —The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, last night paid tribute to the special members who've helped to make its organization the nation's largest public service workers' union.
"The first AFSCME Star of Excellence Awards pay tribute to the people behind our union's power — they are the stars that help our union shine," AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee said. "These men and women help drive our organizing victories, fuel our political engine and keep our privatization battles moving forward. They are the best of the best."
AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer William Lucy added, "Organizing is the single most important victory for AFSCME. It makes us stronger, and paves the way for all our other victories. Tonight we honor unions that are transforming our union by transforming their own."
AFSCME Star of Excellence award winners hail from California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Washington, Wisconsin, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. They include:
- California AFSCME/United Domestic Workers (UDW)/ The National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees (NUHHCE). Last year, in the nation's largest representation election, AFSCME/UDW/NUHHCE stood beside 12,500 home care workers in the fight for dignity and justice. Home care workers do some of the toughest work in the nation with low wages and no benefits. By the end of this year, AFSCME/UDW/NUHHCE expect to have organized 50,000 workers across the state of California.
- University of California Local 3299. One of the frontrunners when it comes to organizing, the local's efforts to mobilize, educate and involve members are paying off with strong contracts and pay raises. Its Membership Action Team has gotten members involved in workplace actions that have battled privatization and stopped supervisor harassment.
- Ray Soucy, Local 387 of Connecticut Council 4. Ray is one of AFSCME's most enterprising and determined activists. He temporarily left his job as a Corrections Industrial Supervisor to organize fellow corrections workers in Kentucky. The day after September 11, he led a collection for survivors at his state AFL-CIO convention that raised $7,000. And he is active in raising money for PEOPLE, the union's political action program.
- Florida Council 79. When Florida became the center of the political universe in 2000, the men and women of Council 79 were right there leading the struggle to stand up for working families and for justice. First they defied the predictions of many observers by waging a successful grassroots campaign that gave Al Gore a chance to win the election. After the initial results came in, they discovered voting irregularities, alerted the Gore campaign, and took to the streets to protest and fight for a fair count as the world watched.
- Dr. Michael Connair, Physicians and Dentists/NUHHCE 1199. Our nation's doctors are finally beginning to recognize the benefits of union membership, and no one has worked harder to organize them than this Florida-headquartered union and its leader, Dr. Michael Connair. He has fought tirelessly for legislation to win collective bargaining rights for private physicians, testified before Congress on why doctors need a voice at work, and involved other doctors' groups in grassroots organizing on behalf of physicians everywhere.
- Illinois Council 31. Council 31 has one of the best organizing teams in the labor movement. Members have focused on organizing low-paid private mental health workers — people whose jobs undermine the wages of AFSCME mental health workers. This council has won more than 90 percent of its elections while organizing private employers who've fought hard to prevent these victories.
- Iowa Council 61. On the legislative advocacy front, Council 61 has been leading the way. With Iowa struggling to balance its state budget during each of the last two years, members were confronted with potentially severe layoffs and spending cuts. They fought back hard and convinced the legislature to find more reasonable ways to close the budget gap, and their success set an example for the rest of the nation.
- University of Maryland, Local 1072 of Council 92. One of AFSCME's great organizing successes of the past two years, more than 4,000 university workers on 11 campuses have voted to join the union after two decades of fighting for collective bargaining rights.
- Local 411 of Michigan Council 25. Members of this local negotiated the best contract in their history by using their voting power with elected officials, increasing community support through the media, and building bargaining power by allying with other county workers. Their retirement package, upgrades, and pay increases set a standard for the rest of the state.
- Minnesota Council 6. Some criticized Council 6 members' decision to go on strike for a fair contract only weeks after September 11, but they never questioned the righteousness of their struggle. After two weeks off the job, they won pay raises and a better health care plan and sent a clear message that the attack on our country did nothing to change the issues that are important to working families.
- New York CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000. For all-around political and community activism, this union can't be beat. Members are political activists who built a rapid response network on important legislative issues and last year contributed nearly a quarter of a million dollars to PEOPLE, AFSCME's political action program. And they are community activists whose 117 locals donate their time and talent to the citizens of New York.
- New York District Council 37 and Locals 372, 375, 2507 and 3621. Members of this New York City district council — the city's largest municipal union — were among the first to respond to the September 11 terrorist attacks. They drove ambulances toward the towers, answered 911 calls from people who were trapped, and helped in the rescue effort in so many other ways. And when Mayor Giuliani tried to privatize the recovery effort at Ground Zero, members fought back and completed the work ahead of time and under budget.
- Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE). When it comes to organizing, political action, and fighting privatization, it's hard to beat this council of school and educational employees. These employees have organized almost 20 Head Start programs, adding 9,000 new members in the last decade. They also won a Ohio Supreme Court ruling saving bus drivers' jobs from privatization, and in less than a year, added 600 new contributors to their PEOPLE political action fund.
- Local 2415 of Ohio Council 8. Three years ago this affiliate set the goal of building its membership and winning a Fair Share fee election. The "AFSCME Activists in Action" built an aggressive campaign that doubled membership by increasing visibility and tracking potential members.
- Washington State Council 28. Last year, when they didn't get the respect they deserve, 19,000 members of Council 28 went out on strike. After flexing their political power to elect worker-friendly legislators, this year they finally won a 14-year struggle for collective bargaining rights. And when the business community threatened them with a referendum to repeal the new law, they won that battle too.
- Wisconsin Council 24. This union is a model for organizing success. Operating under the motto, "Failure is not an option," this council has fewer than 20,000 members but never runs from a fight. It recently won an internal organizing drive for 7,400 workers in the state's administrative bargaining unit, which sets the stage for organizing another 6,000 workers.
- Servidores Públicos Unidos (SPU)/AFSCME, Puerto Rico. One of the fastest-growing unions in AFSCME, SPU boasts highly dedicated organizers, with some traveling 40 miles a day to the union office to volunteer their personal time. Now more than 20,000 workers in nine state agencies have chosen SPU/AFSCME as their exclusive bargaining representative.
Mary Goulding, Vice President of Wisconsin Council 40, and President of Local 3055, was given a special honor. She was presented with the President's Award for her leadership and lifelong commitment to improving the lives of working families. Mary has volunteered countless hours to political campaigns in her state and is known as a walking billboard for her council's PEOPLE program with her colorful head-to-toe AFSCME green garb.
