Look What We Got!

By the Public Employee Staff

Winning organizing drives is tough. Negotiating first contracts can be even tougher. But the fruits are sweet: better pay, better benefits, a voice on the job.

In 1998, AFSCME gave organizing its top priority and launched an aggressive new program to help unorganized workers join our union. By organizing and growing, we help workers better their lives and build power for AFSCME's existing members. Our efforts have produced stunning successes: signing up more than 225,000 workers — in both the private and public sectors, starting new locals plus strengthening others and the affiliates they belong to.

But organizing is not the goal. It's the means to reach the first of many contracts that will improve new members' everyday work experience — with regard to pay, benefits and conditions — and also improve the services they provide.

First contracts, especially good ones, can be very hard to achieve. Studies indicate that only 50 percent of union organizing victories (in all industries combined) result in contracts. For state and local government employees, the going has been especially rough in the past few years. Efforts to obtain fair contracts have been impeded by recession, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the Bush administration's failure to provide state and local governments with sorely needed financial assistance.