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Resolutions & Amendments

43rd International Convention - Boston, MA (2018)

Support for the #METOO Movement

Resolution No. 51
43rd International Convention
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
July 16 - 20, 2018
Boston, MA

WHEREAS:

The #MeToo Movement has lifted the curtain on what has been an open secret in our nation, and has forced us all to engage in a long overdue conversation about the pervasiveness of sexual harassment; and

WHEREAS:

AFSCME is grateful to the brave women and men who have awoken our collective conscience to the magnitude of the workplace harassment crisis, and who have empowered ordinary people to speak up and fight back; and

WHEREAS:

Women of every age, race, background and profession have faced harassment; and too few perpetrators have been held accountable; and

WHEREAS:

AFSCME members have answered a call to put their communities first by delivering excellent public services, and they deserve respect, and a harassment-free workplace for their efforts; and

WHEREAS:

It is the duty of management in every place of employment to ensure the dignity of every worker and to strive to create harassment free workplaces; this means implementing policies to prevent harassment from occurring, taking harassment complaints seriously and delivering serious consequences to those responsible.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

AFSCME declares that victims of harassment should no longer be silenced. Sexual harassment must be called out as reprehensible workplace behavior and there is no role in the workplace, or in our society, for sexual harassers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME salutes the bravery of the many people who have come forward in the #MeToo movement, and declares our solidarity with the struggle against sexual assault perpetrated by people from all levels of our society; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

AFSCME reiterates its commitment to workplaces free from harassing and bullying behavior and calls upon all employers to work aggressively to address and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace and demands that legislative bodies and policy makers at the federal, state and local levels take action to prevent and address sexual harassment; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

AFSCME supports strengthened legal protections for workers victimized by harassing behavior and specifically supports the Fair Employment Practices Act which restores strong protections from harassment that the Supreme Court undermined in 2013; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

AFSCME affiliates will endeavor to negotiate effective language to address and prevent sexual harassment in contracts and work to compel employers to pro-actively address workplace harassment by changing workplace culture, encouraging more diversity in leadership and management roles and developing training programs on harassment prevention for members and leaders; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

AFSCME recommits our union’s efforts to lead by example in the fight to end workplace sexual harassment once and for all. Time’s Up.

SUBMITTED BY:

International Executive Board

Donna Stern, Delegate
AFSCME Local 140, Council 25
Michigan