WHEREAS:
AFSCME has been at the forefront of efforts to respond to the corporate agenda which threatens our communities at the national, state and local levels. In 2015, we decided to build on the progress made during the successful 50,000 Stronger Campaign by continuing to increase union membership and identifying and engaging leaders and activists at the local level. We have learned from our collective experiences and continue to build the strongest possible union by speaking with and mobilizing our members. To support these efforts, the union launched the AFSCME Strong Campaign in March 2015; and
WHEREAS:
The AFSCME Strong Campaign established strategic priorities that included:
- internal organizing to recruit more members and identify more activists;
- external organizing to bring the benefits of union membership to more workers through accretions, affiliations and organizing;
- the development of a worker-based economic agenda and engaging in coalitions with others to promote shared prosperity and influence our political debates;
- a branding initiative to educate the public about the important work performed by AFSCME members and create a greater sense of pride in the important role we play in society; and
- an examination of our structure to ensure that we are as efficient and effective as possible in meeting our goals with an emphasis on accountability, data quality, and alignment of resources with our priorities.
WHEREAS:
Although the 4-4 Supreme Court decision in Friedrichs v. CTA reaffirmed our right to have strong public sector unions, that victory may be only temporary. Wealthy special interests are pursuing other cases in the courts to create so-called “Right to Work” restrictions and state and local legislatures continue to pursue an anti-worker agenda. These attacks, which are part of a dysfunctional political system, remind us that we must continue the union-wide internal organizing effort initiated in 2014 with the 50,000 Stronger Campaign and continued in 2015 with the AFSCME Strong campaign; and
WHEREAS:
Leaders throughout the country have actively embraced the vision of the AFSCME Strong campaign. Forty-four affiliates have passed AFSCME Strong resolutions, and 31 affiliates have submitted plans to the International Union. Fifty-nine affiliates have held 800 trainings, resulting in over 20,000 newly-trained activists; and
WHEREAS:
Since the 2014 convention, AFSCME activists have had one-on-one conversations with over 435,000 members, and have signed up over 335,000 new members in fair share and right to work locals across the country. Affiliates have also worked to improve data on existing membership. Twenty-six affiliates have conducted card audits to ensure the union has signed membership authorization forms and 13 affiliates are using new “maintenance of dues” cards.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
AFSCME and affiliates at all levels will continue our unprecedented mobilization and build on our success to achieve our goals for better communities, better jobs and stronger unions. A mobilized membership, is a strong membership; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
By identifying and fighting on the issues that most vitally concern us, local unions will build solidarity and win better working conditions to create a better life for our members. Local unions and retiree chapters are the backbone of our union and the source of our power and we will continue to recruit and train activists for organizing and political campaigns; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
AFSCME will partner with allies in the community to reverse the decline in living standards and hold politicians accountable to an agenda that levels the playing field so we can achieve shared prosperity; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
The national union will support the training and development of council staff and local union leaders relying on the best practices identified during the 50,000 Stronger and AFSCME Strong campaigns; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
AFSCME is a union that NEVER QUITS. Despite decades of attacks on workers who serve the public and the services we provide, we will build our union so we remain AFSCME STRONG.
SUBMITTED BY: INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD