Organizing and Political Action: Two Keys to Success

From William Lucy, Secretary-Treasurer

Last year, more than 60,000 workers stood up for dignity and justice at work by electing our union —the largest and fastest-growing in the entire AFL-CIO — as their union.

These workers represent an array of cultures, occupations and locales. Some work for the University of Maryland as housekeepers, groundskeepers and secretaries. Twelve thousand of them provide back-breaking home health care services for San Diego’s sick and eld-erly. Ten thousand more work as social service and fire department employees on the island of Puerto Rico. Others work as corrections officers in Kentucky where they can pay as much as $500 per month — a full 25 percent of their pay — for health insurance.

But regardless of the type of work they do, where they do it, or what they earn, to these workers, one thing is clear: When it comes to building power, and raising the voices of working men and women across this nation, there is strength in numbers. And there is success in solidarity.

Whether it’s preserving our jobs and protecting our families by fighting privatization, getting the best contracts with the best benefits and wages, or fighting back when states try to balance dwindling finances on our already over-burdened backs, a strong, vocal union can mean the difference between success and failure.

Thinking politically

Our goal is not merely to survive, our goal is to thrive. We must continue the organizing efforts that are essential to our growth and strength, and recognize that political action is another critical key that can unlock the door to our union’s growth.

Only through smart and aggressive political action will we win the battles that will keep Social Security strong for the future, keep Medicare healthy for our seniors, provide every child in America with the education they deserve, and protect working families from attacks from right-wing lawmakers.

During the 2000 elections, union members represented 26 percent of the total electorate. That representation didn’t just happen. It resulted from thousands of phone calls, millions of direct mail pieces and countless hours of work performed by dedicated union activists.

This year, voters will be electing one-third of the U.S. Senate and 36 governors, as well as the entire U.S. House. Our goals in behalf of workers and working families are clear: Increase our slim majority in the Senate, capture a flock of governorships and regain control of the House. If we do that, we will set in motion a successful movement to pass vital pro-union legislation.

On top of that, the recent congressional vote to keep political parties from receiving large financial contributions, known as "soft money," will make our political activism even more critical in the future.

Greening the grass

In the past, unions accounted for four of the top five contributors of soft money. Once those contributions are no longer allowed, we will have to rely even more on grass-roots mobilization — direct mail, phone banks and the door-to-door and face-to-face contacts to get voters to the polls. And that effort will require more members than ever before.

In addition to electing candidates who support the issues that are important to our members and working families, political action also serves as the catalyst that sets the stage for the executive orders and legislative actions that open the door to collective bargaining and better opportunities for larger numbers of public service workers.

The Maryland, Missouri and Kentucky employees who are joining our union are able to do so because of intense negotiations between our union and the governors of these states. In just three months, more than 4,000 workers have voted for AFSCME representation in 26 elections on 13 Maryland campuses, while 10,000 corrections law enforcement and health care workers in Kentucky have said yes to AFSCME representation. And just last month, a bill signed by the governor of Washington state moved public service workers from collective begging to collective bargaining.

None of these opportunities would have been possible without the existence of a strong activist group. And at the end of the day, whether the subject is contracts or politics, it all boils down to strength in numbers.