AFSCME Executive Board Summary Report
This report summarizes the September and December 2010 quarterly meetings of the AFSCME Executive Board, held in Washington, DC. For complete reports, visit afscme.org/iebreport.
This report summarizes the September and December 2010 quarterly meetings of the AFSCME Executive Board, held in Washington, DC. For complete reports, visit afscme.org/iebreport.
The Challenge
Both meetings addressed the challenges facing the union and how corporate interests and the very wealthy continue to use the economic crisis to advance their interests. These opponents fund a steady stream of attacks on our members and the work they do. They call for budget and tax cuts, privatization of public services and the reduction of health and retirement security for the vast majority of working Americans. Because we pose a serious threat to their ability to achieve their goals, we have become their chief target.
In December, the Board discussed how the election losses of 2010 affected budget fights and privatization battles that were already intense as a result of the recession, which led states to cut nearly a trillion dollars in spending and cut services to the bone. Board members also finalized the union's strategy to confront new and more aggressive attacks on the pay and benefits of AFSCME members, collective bargaining rights and the ability of working men and women to achieve the American dream.
The Board recognized that the attacks against our union are fueling - and being fueled by - lies about public employee jobs, retirement security and privatization. As a result, the national union and its local unions, councils and affiliates are gathering the tools and resources we all need to respond to attacks quickly and comprehensively.
The Solution
We must face today's challenges with the same resolve and commitment that has helped AFSCME score victories in the past. At the national union, that means communicating with members and educating them via new technology, training programs and critical conferences throughout this year.
The national union is also forming battleground state partnerships with councils and locals, which will replicate the strategies that made AFSCME a key player in the passage of health care reform and the successful effort to secure $250 billion in federal aid for the states to fund vital public services. And headquarters is collaborating with affiliate partners on the ground and conducting polling on key subjects to develop effective messages that will resonate with the public and opinion leaders.
Through the Power to Win Academy, leaders will receive the information they need to stand up for public service workers. Our Stop the Lies campaign is getting out the truth about public services and public service workers. As long as this battle continues, additional tools will be developed so that we can keep up our important work.
On the Frontlines
The efforts of the national union are bolstering the work of AFSCME activists across the nation. They are working tirelessly to protect public services, block privatization efforts, secure funding for state and local government programs and defend AFSCME members' hard-earned pensions and our work to make America happen. Our members are taking to the streets, sending text messages, posting on social networking sites, speaking up in the media and using every outlet to make sure AFSCME's voice is heard.
Together, We'll Win
But this fight isn't just about us. That is why we are calling on America to protect the retirement security of all workers. It is why we are demanding the preservation and expansion of the rights of all workers - including public employees and independent providers - to bargain collectively for better wages, working conditions and benefits. And it is why we are calling on every AFSCME member to help the union chart a course through the demanding days that lie ahead.
