AFSCME Across America: Organizing for Power
From state to state, workers are organizing with AFSCME for a stronger voice on the job. Here are some recent victories:
Illinois
Nearly 1,000 state public service administrators (PSAs) voted 2-1 to become members of Council 31. Their determination to form a union with AFSCME came to fruition only last October, more than a year after their ballots were impounded in a dispute with management about who should be covered by collective bargaining. The PSAs work throughout the state, primarily for the departments of Children & Family Services, Human Services, Public Health and Aging.
Indiana
Thirty-eight bus drivers voted to join Council 62. The drivers are employed by Area 10 Agency on Aging, a private, non-profit cor-poration serving elderly and disabled residents of Monroe and Owen counties.
Minnesota
Eight Pine County Sheriff’s Department clerical workers organized with Local 1647 (Council 65).
New York
Twenty-four day care workers at the Graham Windham Children’s Learning Center in New York City voted unanimously to join District Council 1707.
Ohio
About 50 case workers and other client-service employees of the Shelby County Department of Job and Family Services recently voted to join Council 8. Also building a union with the council are 29 supervisory employees at the Lucas County Department of Job & Family Services and 24 mechanics, technicians and other employees of West Chester Township.
Oregon
Forty group home workers employed by the private, non-profit Rainbow Adult Living organization in the Portland area overcame management intimidation to organize with Council 75. Two union supporters were fired and another’s job was threatened a day before the vote. The council previously represented Rainbow employees in the 1990s, but that ended in 2000 under management pressure and high staff turnover.
Wisconsin
Voting for a voice with Council 40, over another union, were 137 sworn and non-sworn employees of the Sauk County Sheriff’s Department; 45 corrections officers employed by La Crosse County voted overwhelmingly to join Council 40, leaving another union.
