Our Voices Our Future
First-ever town meeting identifies priorities for change
By Clyde Weiss
Making Power to Win a success was at the top of the agenda for more than 4,000 delegates and alternates who spent one full day of the 2006 International Convention participating in an innovative town meeting that represents a first in AFSCME history and the entire labor movement.
Attendees were seated in hundreds of small groups where they grappled with the best ways to get members involved and to score more victories in organizing drives and at the ballot box.
The simultaneous discussions of each group were captured using an innovative system of keypads and laptop computers. Those discussions were instantaneously transferred to a group appropriately named the Theme Team, which compiled each tables’ answers into common ideas. Themes were broadcast on oversized video monitors for all to see, giving attendees the experience of one discussion made up of thousands of voices.
Called Our Voices Our Future, the meeting was facilitated by AmericaSpeaks, an organization that for more than a decade has engaged large groups in important local, state and national decisions, including redevelopment of the World Trade Center site following 9/11. In the words of President McEntee, the gathering enabled AFSCME "to capitalize on our collective ideas and insights to identify common priorities, and to make commitments toward building a more powerful union."
For everyone who attended, the meeting was a rare opportunity to use the collective wisdom and experience of a large number of their AFSCME brothers and sisters to build power in their unions back home.
Most of all, the gathering provided participants with the opportunity to put their imprint on the critical work and discussions that would not only put Power to Win in place, but ensure its success throughout the union.
"Everyone from our council thought the Town Meeting was invaluable," said Dennis Tipton, president of Local 2367 (Council 13) and a supervisor in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. "It was great having the chance to talk in a small group with AFSCME members from other states about how to turn the goals of Power to Win into a reality, and the computer linkup allowed everyone in the room to see our common concerns about the threats facing our union."
With the future of the nation and AFSCME hanging in the balance, Our Voices Our Future was a critical step toward shaping our bold, new plan into a reality — one that will tip the scales of power back in favor of working men and women.
Suggestions
Here is a sampling of suggestions for improving member involvement and winning in politics and organizing. For the full report, go to afscme.org.
Member Involvement
Politics
Organizing
Leadership Institute Takes Center Stage
To achieve the goals of Power to Win, the International Union is creating a new AFSCME Leadership Institute. The institute will develop leadership teams and leaders, and educate staff and members — providing them with the skills and online tools to build stronger AFSCME unions. Leadership development will be included in all union activities, including conferences, delegate meetings, political action, organizing, contract fights and privatization battles. Asked what skills the new institute should address, town meeting attendees identified: communication; effective negotiation and conflict resolution; creating new leaders; and labor and AFSCME history. Other suggestions included managing local meetings, diversity training and organizational development.
