Action Agenda
Web Editor's Note: This article has been edited to comply with Federal Election Commission regulations.
By Clyde Weiss
The International's 36th Convention will celebrate achievements and aim for more.
Delegates to AFSCME's 36th International Convention will convene on June 21 in Anaheim, Calif., to celebrate the union's successes and to confront the challenges ahead.
The five-day International Convention — open to elected delegates, alternates and invited guests — will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center, June 21-25.
Since we last held an International Convention in Anaheim — in 1980 — our membership has ballooned from 963,765 to 1.4 million. There were 2,600 delegates to that earlier Convention; this year, the delegate count is expected to exceed the record 3,705 who registered for our last Convention.
Anaheim is known worldwide for the fantasy of Disneyland. But when the Green Machine rolls into town, fun will take second billing to the serious job of electing all of our International executive officers — president, secretary-treasurer and 31 vice presidents. A slew of resolutions and amendments will be considered as well. We will also focus our energies on the critical task of increasing union membership and getting out the votes for this fall's all-important political contests. At stake: the White House, the entire U.S. House of Representatives, 34 members of the Senate and 11 governors.
Celebrate & Rededicate
In a follow-up to the International's first-ever Organizing Convention in Los Angeles in 2001, the union will kick off activities Sunday, June 20, with a special organizing conference. The people who attend will make plans for the future, discuss the links between organizing and political action, and share our "best practices."
A delegate's reception that Sunday night will launch an event-filled week in which we will honor our heroes, rejoice in our achievements and rededicate ourselves to the ongoing struggle for dignity and respect in the workplace — and victory at the polls. There will be a PEOPLE Awards presentation honoring affiliates that have exceeded the national 10-percent participation goal, and of course the popular PEOPLE Fun Run for the athletic among the delegates will take place on Thursday, June 24.
More details also will be published in the next issue of Public Employee.
The Convention Call — which spells out representation procedures, credentials and rules, submission of resolutions and housing applications — will be mailed to councils, locals and retiree chapters by April 7. Housing registration forms for delegates and guests at nine hotels must be returned by May 14. Details on airline discounts available to Convention attendees, airport shuttle service and rental car rates will be provided with the Convention Call, and will also be posted on our Web site. The same applies to information on discount tickets to Disneyland and other area attractions available for purchase through AFSCME.
The postmark deadline for locals and retiree chapters to submit credentials (to Sec.-Treas. William Lucy) is June 1.After that, credentials will be considered late; that is, those "irregular" delegates will not be seated until the Convention votes to do so. AFSCME will again provide child care for delegates' children, aged 2 to 12 years.
Our Kind of Town
The nearby Santa Ana River and the German word for home, "Heim," serve as the linguistic roots for the name Anaheim. Its human roots are the German farmers and vintners who founded the town in 1857. Today, Anaheim is the oldest and second-largest city in Orange County, boasting some 328,000 residents, including many AFSCME members. In fact, AFSCME is the largest union in the county, almost tripling its local membership since 1998.
Within the city, Local 3112 (Council 36) represents about 500 blue-collar employees of the Anaheim Union High School District. They have been without a contract for nearly two years, and they plan to conduct informational picketing to educate the public of their struggle with management. Local 2076 (Council 36) represents welfare eligibility workers throughout the county.
Other AFSCME affiliates in the area include Local 3299, which represents members at the University of California campuses, including UC's medical center in Irvine. The United Nurses Associations of California/NUHHCE represents RNs at Tenet's Irvine Medical Center, plus Kaiser Permanente's Orange County and Bellflower medical centers. The United Domestic Workers of America-NUHHCE represents 8,000 home care workers in the area, making it the county's largest local union.
Walt Disney's dream, Disneyland, opened here in 1955, forever changing the face of this city. But there is more to Anaheim than Mickey and Minnie. Visitors also flock to local golf courses, a farmers' market, a museum that displays more than 6,000 toys and dolls, and various shopping venues. Plus, there's all of sunny Southern California to compete for the delegates' non-Convention time.
When the gavel comes down that Friday, members will depart with a renewed sense of purpose.
And the Award Goes To ...
Do you know an outstanding AFSCME activist? You can nominate him or her for the AFSCME Star of Excellence, which will be awarded to individuals and their affiliated unions at our Convention. What kinds of activists? The stars: Those who organize for power, fight privatization, volunteer for political action, have a "can do" spirit that is contagious, and/or can always be counted on to give back to their union and their community. A panel of AFSCME leaders will select the winners.
Nomination forms are available on the AFSCME Web site at www.afscme.org or by contacting AFSCME Awards 2004, c/o Department of Education and Leadership Training, 1625 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-5687; (202) 429-1250 (phone) or -1272 (fax). Nominations must be received by April 30, 2004.
