Lobby Days 2009
Taking it to the Halls of Power
By Gonzalo Baeza
Without a doubt, the recent passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 boosted our nation’s economy and gave much-needed aid to state and local governments. Still, there is much more work to do when it comes to helping states across America plug budget holes as they continue to provide vital services like health care, education and public safety. With these critical economic issues taking center stage, activists converged on state legislatures in annual Lobby Day activities held by AFSCME affiliates across the nation.
Florida
Rallying In Tallahassee - Lobby Day brought 250 AFSCME Council 79 activists to the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee.
The council held a press conference to discuss tax and revenue options to avoid budget cuts and fight a proposed 5 percent across-the-board pay reduction for state workers. They have not received a pay increase in three years. AFSCME activists also attended an event in support of the Employee Fee Choice Act, a bill that would restore workers’ freedom to join a union by signing cards authorizing union representation.
Iowa
Power In Numbers - Standing 200-strong, AFSCME members took part in Council 61's Lobby Day, packing the Iowa State Capitol rotunda.
Council 61 lobbied for a crucial public sector fair share bill that would allow the union to collect fees from workers who don’t pay dues, yet benefit from representation. Participants also advocated for changes to the Iowa Code that would broaden the scope of collective bargaining for public employees.
Kansas
Cut The Fat, Not The Muscle - Over 100 members of the Kansas Organization of State Employees (KOSE) AFT/AFSCME Local 300 descended on the State Capitol in March to fight for better salaries and benefits. Faced with a $650 million budget deficit, the state’s Republican-led Legislature has demanded that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) implement severe spending restrictions, putting Kansas state employees in the budget-cutting crosshairs.
“Cut the fat, not the muscle,” says Brenda Cervantes, a social worker at the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex. “We’re the muscle.”
KOSE members are demanding that the Legislature fully fund their pay plan and maintain longevity pay to prevent turnovers, lowering costs while rewarding experienced employees who remain in public service.
Kentucky
No Furloughs, Better Safety - More than 100 Council 62 members rallied at the State House in Kentucky to deliver a simple message: “No furloughs. Better safety.” Activists demanded that legislators reject the furloughs proposed by Gov. Steve Beshear (D) in an attempt to reduce the state’s $456 million budget shortfall. Just one day after the rally, House Speaker Greg Stumbo (D) told the press there would be “no furloughs.”
Members also delivered over 1,000 postcards signed by workers calling on the governor to maintain funding for state worker safety and negotiate with AFSCME to reach a union agreement.
Maryland
Lobby Nights In Annapolis - Hundreds of AFSCME members met weekly at the State House in Annapolis to remind the General Assembly throughout its 90-day session that they would not accept layoffs, furloughs and unnecessary budget cuts.
Independent home care providers from Council 67 addressed the need to prevent cuts to Medicaid funding. Members also lobbied for the Fair Share Act to ensure all state workers pay a fair fee for services and benefits they receive through their union contract. The bill passed overwhelmingly as AFSCME WORKS went to press.
Minnesota
Day On The Hill - In Minnesota, Council 5 and Council 65 held their respective “Days on the Hill” early in March, meeting with legislators and discussing solutions to the state’s $6 billion budget deficit.
The 150 Council 65 members brought home a simple message: Public employee pay freezes and layoffs are not the solution to the state’s budget problems.
Council 5 shook things up a few days later as nearly 1,000 members rallied at the State Capitol rotunda, stressing the need to raise revenue fairly to save their jobs and the vital services they provide.
New Mexico
Winning A Better Future - New Mexico child care providers represented by AFSCME Council 18 have waged a long fight to form a union. At their Lobby Day rally at the State Capitol, providers knew they were getting closer to accomplishing their goal. A bill granting them collective bargaining rights was finally making strides at the Legislature. The activists let their state representatives and senators know they expected their support.
The hard work paid off. In March, the bill passed both chambers and went to Gov. Bill Richardson (D) for his signature. Now, 2,500 child care providers have the right to organize and enter into a collective bargaining agreement with New Mexico’s Youth, Children and Families Department.
New York
Protecting Public Services - An army of 2,000 AFSCME members from the union’s six affiliates across the state converged in March at the State Capitol in Albany. AFSCME represents 420,000 New York public service workers through the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA)/AFSCME Local 1000, DC 37, DC 1707, and Councils 35, 66, and 82.
To close the state’s $17.7 billion budget gap, Gov. David Paterson (D) seeks to make cuts to essential programs. He also intends to lay off almost 9,000 state workers and implement increased fees and regressive consumption taxes.
“New Yorkers deserve better than a plan that will put nearly 9,000 taxpayers out of work and erode public services when they are needed the most,” said CSEA Pres. Danny Donahue.
CSEA has also suggested that the personal income tax system be revised so that the wealthiest New Yorkers pay taxes that are commensurate with their income. All of the councils are calling for an end to wasteful spending on private contractors. According to research conducted by DC 37, New York City could save over $9 billion if they stopped paying privateers to do the jobs AFSCME members do better and for less money.
“We’re on the frontlines every day as millions of New Yorkers struggle to stay afloat,” said DC 37 Exec. Dir. Lillian Roberts. “We know the pain and suffering these proposed cuts could cause.”
Puerto Rico
Fighting Back - Earlier this year, Gov. Luis Fortuño announced a Draconian plan to reduce Puerto Rico’s $3.2 billion budget deficit, including layoffs for 30,000 public employees and across-the-board wage cuts. Servidores Públicos Unidos (SPU)/AFSCME Council 95 took immediate action. Activists showed up in full force at the Capitol in San Juan to fight back.
SPU leaders met with legislators to call for solutions for this critical scenario, including more effective ways of raising tax revenue and preventing massive layoffs that will harm the island’s economy.
Texas
A Show Of Strength In Austin - A record crowd of 400 AFSCME/Correctional Employees Council 7 members met with legislators in Austin to lobby for a much-needed pay increase. Texas correctional officers (COs) salaries rank among the lowest in the country. A pay hike would raise starting salaries from $26,000 to $30,000, and help diminish CO turnover at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Washington
Say No To The “All Cuts” Budget - Faced with the prospect of layoffs and state budget cuts, members of the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE)/AFSCME Council 28 held periodic lobby days in February and March. Hundreds of activists gathered at the Washington State Capitol Campus in Olympia to fight what they called the “all-cuts budget” being discussed by the Legislature.
West Virginia
Bringing It To Charleston - One hundred Council 77 members traveled to Charleston for their annual Lobby Day event. Elected officials spoke to the group while members met with legislators from their respective home districts to press for collective bargaining, pay raises and public employee insurance costs.
Wisconsin
Keeping Wisconsin Strong - Nearly 400 members from Councils 24, 40 and 48 gathered at the Capitol. They visited legislators to express the importance of investing in the quality public services that keep the state moving ahead.
