An Historic First!

OKLAHOMA CITY

On Nov. 1, the eyes of labor were focused on this plains city. A delegation of leaders of AFSCME organizing committees — union activists representing about 1,000 municipal employees in Lawton, Enid, Bartlesville and Moore, plus the Oklahoma City Zoo — assembled at the state capitol to take a big step — the filing of a union-recognition petition under a new collective bargaining law.

The law, signed by Democratic Gov. Brad Henry, allows municipal employees in cities of 35,000 or more to unionize. Roy Robins, a technical-services department employee in Enid, spoke for the group when he said, "We are taking advantage of an opportunity that has been years in the making. We believe that, by forming a union, we can create a better working atmosphere with our administration. By bargaining a contract over wages, benefits, and working conditions, we can bring more openness to Enid municipal government and create unity among the employees."

AFSCME currently represents and negotiates union contracts for existing units of municipal employee groups in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman and Muskogee.

Workers in several other Oklahoma communities are also seeking to join our union. Their motivation is simple. Explains Walter Mickleson, who works in Bartlesville's water department: "From the beginning of our organizing drive, our main issue has been getting respect for the general municipal employees. We want to make sure that all the city employees are treated fairly."