Volunteers Are Building Power Through Membership Across the Nation
AFSCME members attend a Maryland training session, to learn how to become VMOs.
This summer, approximately 50 members from across the country trained to become Volunteer Member Organizers (VMOs) to help in campaigns to build the union, fight attacks on public services and to learn important one-on-one communications skills to move workers to action.
After signing up for training at AFSCME’s 40th International Convention, each member learned overall program goals and then headed in August to a five-day session in Riverside, Calif.; Baltimore, Md.; Burlington, Vt.; Madison, Wis.; or Miami, Fla.
They learned important organizing skills that they used while visiting non-members at their homes, and engaged workers to join the union. The training involved organizing California child care providers and Maryland state comptrollers and other public service workers; rebuilding membership in Wisconsin; fighting privatization in Florida; and helping Vermont’s home care providers win union recognition.
VMO training is vital to building AFSCME’s capacity to fight and grow, by nurturing a cadre of trained and experienced member-organizers who can effectively share our mission to help unorganized workers gain a union voice in the workplace.
Carlos Leon, a detention services officer in Los Angeles County and an institutional vice president of Local 685 (Council 36), was one of those who trained. “I just wanted to sharpen my skills,” he explained, noting that he had helped organize workers in a previous job with the AFL-CIO.
“Some public service employees take it for granted that they’re union members,” he added. “Because of our contract we have really good benefits and pensions, and some don’t realize there are folks who are losing those things, and having to fight to keep them.” That’s why he signed up to become a VMO.
Carolyn Park, a teaching assistant in Cincinnati, Ohio, participated in the VMO training in Baltimore, Md. Park, a Local 232 (Council 8) steward and a co-chair of her union’s PEOPLE committee, says she shortened her stay at a family reunion to participate.
Park said union members “have a better standard of living” because of their contracts, and she wants to help others gain the same rights and benefits that she’s enjoyed.
“I want to be able to do an even better job trying to make workers understand why they need to join the union.”
Workers are also organizing with AFSCME in other states. Here is a list of some recent victories:
California
One-hundred and seventy-four employees of Rural/Metro, an emergency services firm in the Bay Area, overcame an anti-union campaign by the employer and voted to organize with United EMS Workers-AFSCME Local 4911.
Illinois
One-hundred and fifty nurses at Chicago’s Loretto Hospital voted overwhelmingly to join Council 31. Also, nearly 100 home health care professionals who work for Resurrection Health Care voted to form a union with the council.
Kentucky
One-hundred and sixty-five Lexington city sanitation workers voted, by an overwhelming margin, to form a union with Council 62.
Nebraska
Fifty-four road maintenance workers voted to join Local 2468.
Pennsylvania
Sixty-eight employees of Monroe County Court voted to join Council 13. Eleven Albion Borough (Erie County) employees also joined the council.
Utah
Three-hundred and twenty-five police officers in Greater Salt Lake City won a representation election with the Unified Police Federation/AFSCME Local 45.
