People It's Up To You!

Member participation drives our political program.

By Jimmie Turner

Unions and politics are inseparable, and building political power for workers has always been a top AFSCME priority. For decades, the labor movement has done more than its share to get pro-worker candidates elected. The result: Working people have had an effective means of fighting budget cuts and stamping out privatization. Over the years, we have gained such monumental benefits as unemployment insurance, Social Security and the 40-hour workweek.

Beyond electing candidates, organized labor works every day to keep lawmakers accountable and make sure our issues are addressed. Only by electing pro-labor candidates and continuing to fight after Election Day can we blunt the influence of well-financed corporate interests.

It's no secret that campaign contributions often determine who gets elected. Those donations favor Big Business candidates by an alarming 10-to-1 margin. Without labor's efforts, union supporters running for office would face insurmountable odds. Activism by union members has prevented lawmakers from eradicating worker protections, even in times — such as today — when the attitude among national and state lawmakers tends to be anti-union.

Within the labor community, AFSCME is known for its highly effective political operation that ensures workers get a fair shake from legislators. Our success comes from member involvement, which is fueled by the PEOPLE (Public Employees Organ-ized to Promote Legislative Equality) program — the International's grassroots legislative and political operation.

PEOPLE works closely with affiliates to mobilize members for political campaigns in state and local races. It trains volunteers to participate in grassroots movements and to endorse pro-worker candidates. The program also raises money via PEOPLE Check-off — another way for members to get involved in the political process. They sign a card authorizing their employer to deduct a specific amount as a voluntary contribution, then the donations are forwarded directly to PEOPLE to support our campaign efforts.

Affiliates coast to coast are recruiting members to participate through check-off. Several councils and locals have developed successful models and are continually striving to improve participation.

HOME CARE SUCCESS. The San Diego-based United Domestic Workers of America (UDWA)-NUHHCE, an AFSCME affiliate, is actively signing up members for PEOPLE while helping them organize. As each worker signs a card to join the union, he or she is asked to sign another for check-off. Organizers are able to make tangible connections between the home health care workers' employment conditions and the politicians who fund the services.

In 1999, the UDWA and other home care advocates lobbied California Gov. Gray Davis in behalf of a bill that would give home care workers the right to bargain collectively. Davis made a strong commitment to the bill, and we worked hard to support him as part of AFSCME's campaign to help thousands of workers organize with the UDWA.

After the law passed, home care workers in San Diego won a first contract, which included a 26-percent pay increase and health benefits. Activists are organizing employees in 29 counties. To date, 37,000 have joined UDWA.

UDWA has been able to recruit nearly 10 percent of the new membership for PEOPLE Check-off. Ambitious organizers want to triple that number.

"PEOPLE revolves around government policies, and as a union member, our raises and benefits depend on the people who we elect into office," says Cora Dorsey, a home care worker from San Diego. "If everybody got involved, imagine what we could accomplish with every UDWA and AFSCME member joining the program?"

L.A. FAST BREAK. In Los Angeles, heading to the top of the charts at 30 percent membership participation is the Metro-politan Water District (MWD) Employees Association/AFSCME Local 1902. The majority of its members are Republican, but as one union official puts it: "This is not about political party. It's about our jobs."

Leaders from this white-collar union glimpsed at their low contributions to PEOPLE and they say, were "embarassed" about the benefit they were getting in terms of political action at the state and national levels. So they set a goal of 10-percent membership participation in 2001 — and got 17, the following year, another 13 percent. The union will now be conducting an annual check-off promotion.

One officer from each of the union's 13 locals has been recruited to approach members for donations. Reminding members about key legislative victories that favored them has helped MWD get contributions.

Sal Bustos, a shop steward who assisted in the check-off drive, believes a leader must first commit to the program before he or she can encourage others to get involved. After that, he says, "It really isn't a tough sell, if you put it into basic language: 'We all love our jobs. And if we want to see and continue to have decent wages, the contributions that we give help support our cause.' When I explain it to them in that manner, they get a feeling of importance."

UNION = PEOPLE. Illinois Council 31 has long been AFSCME's largest check-off contributor. The reason: PEOPLE activities are integrated into everything the council does. During annual legislative conferences, staff and leaders conduct workshops that lay out the advantages of the program. When holding an orientation for new employees, they emphasize participating in PEOPLE with new members. At 31's convention, the local that signs up the most participants receives an award. And on it goes.

Council 31's Exec. Dir. Henry Bayer explains: "The PEOPLE program can't be dealt with separately and apart from the rest of the union's mission. Politics is very important to our union in particular because we're largely in the public service.

"This is the union's program, and every affiliate has the responsibility to participate," continues Bayer, who is also an International vice president. "They also have the responsibility to make sure their members understand why it's important."

For additional information, e-mail the AFSCME PEOPLE Program.