Download it from Google Play now.
 

(Photo credit: 
www.discoverlosangeles.com)

L.A. is known for balmy weather and ocean views, but the city also boasts a proud labor history – a tradition of solidarity that has grown stronger through the decades. In 1875, Los Angeles printers founded the first union in Southern California, Local No. 174 of the International Typographical Union. Today, more than 800,000 workers are represented by the unions of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

Our host city is also one of the world’s sports capitals. Take your pick: whether it’s the Dodgers or Angels, Clippers, Lakers or Sparks, UCLA or USC, there’s a team in L.A. to make you cheer. In the City of Angels, convention activities will be headquartered at L.A. Live, an area overflowing with entertainment venues, restaurants and special events, all adjacent to the Los Angeles Convention Center.

For more information on events, attractions, restaurants and other activities, please visit: www.discoverlosangeles.com

BOSTON – Lee Saunders was sworn-in today as International Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, during the closing session of the union's 39th Biennial Convention in Boston.

Saunders told the delegates that solidarity is all about “standing up for the dignity of all work and all working people.” He pledged to work for AFSCME members and workers across the country, saying “Throughout our history, this has been what we do. We come together in support of those whose names may never be known, but whose work safeguards neighborhoods and strengthens communities.”

“Fulfilling the promise of American life requires us to move forward as one, finding the strength, the determination, and the resilience to lift up all working families,” added Saunders.

"Lee has worked side by side with me for many years," said AFSCME Pres. Gerald W. McEntee. "He has the experience, the judgment and the integrity to strengthen our union and keep us on the path to victory. He will be an outstanding Secretary-Treasurer."

Saunders accepted the office in honor of his mother, and his late father, who died a year ago this month, saying “My heart is full of gratitude as I remember the early lessons he taught me about the true meaning of solidarity.” Saunders grew up in a union household in Cleveland, Ohio. His father was a bus driver and a member of The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU). After raising two sons, his mother went back to college and became a community college professor and a member of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).

Prior to becoming Secretary-Treasurer, Saunders served as the Executive Assistant to President Gerald W. McEntee. As McEntee's top aide, Saunders oversaw the union's legislative, political, retiree and public affairs activities. He managed what is acknowledged to be the most effective political and legislative operation in the history of the American labor movement. Saunders thanked President McEntee for chairing his campaign and for his leadership, which he said has made AFSCME the “the boldest union in the American labor movement.”

He also praised Danny Donohue, his main competitor for the position, saying “You are my brother today, tomorrow and always. And I thank you for your grace and goodwill.”

Saunders immediately joined OCSEA when he started his first full-time job as a contract specialist at the Ohio Department of Employment Services. He subsequently joined the international staff in 1978, working in several AFSCME departments and as the administrator of a number of AFSCME councils and large local unions across the country, including District Council 37, New York City's largest public-employee union. After three and a half years, he helped to restore the fiscal health and good name of the council and its 56 affiliated locals.

During the campaign, Saunders declared his intention to fight, alongside AFSCME Pres. Gerald W. McEntee, for additional federal funding to protect and strengthen the jobs of AFSCME members. He made it clear that he would increase the focus on AFSCME’s battle against the privatization of vital public services, partnering with community allies and making sure privateers do not break the law or profit by skimping on pay or benefits.

Saunders said that he will promote the recruitment and training of young union leaders and help councils and locals mount a full-scale campaign to defend defined pension plans and protect the pension benefits AFSCME members fought for and won at the bargaining table. He plans to build on AFSCME’s commitment to diversity and developing stronger ties to constituency organizations that promote pride and tolerance among minority workers. Likewise he will continue the union’s fight to secure equal pay for women.

Lee and his wife Lynne live in Washington, DC and have two sons, Lee, Jr. and Ryan.

A detailed biography of Lee Saunders is available at: http://www.afscme.org/saunders

Video is available at: http://convention.afscme.org/blog/united

Photos are available at: http://convention.afscme.org/photos/

AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations – from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers – AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.

###

American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
1625 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-5687
Telephone (202) 429-1145
Fax (202) 429-1120

After the swearing-in ceremony, Saunders addressed the delegates and pledged to work for AFSCME members and workers across the country:

“Throughout our history, this has been what we do. We come together in support of those whose names may never be known, but whose work safeguards neighborhoods and strengthens communities.”

Stressing the importance of moving forward as a united union, Saunders praised Danny Donohue, his main competitor for the Secretary-Treasurer position, saying “You are my brother today, tomorrow and always. And I thank you for your grace and goodwill.”

Sec.-Treas. Saunders said he will continue to promote the Next Wave program, which recruits and trains young union leaders, and build on AFSCME’s commitment to diversity and equal pay for women. He also said he will work with councils and locals on a campaign to turn back efforts to gut defend defined pension plans.

Read the press release for more.

The readiness of existing AFSCME leaders to pass along their skills and knowledge to other members was a central theme of many stories. Philadelphia city accountant Marguerite Morgan noted, for instance, that after just seven years as an AFSCME member, “I’m already an officer” – recording secretary of Local 2187 and a trustee of DC 47. “That’s because our officers saw something in me I didn’t even see in myself.”

Confidence – based on the knowledge that you are in a powerful union – was also cited as a motivator for taking charge.

Linda Alexander, a nursing assistant at a county psychiatric nursing home and president of Local 2664 (Wisconsin Council 40), put it this way: “With AFSCME behind me, I knew I had somebody at my back.”

During the Café session, Lonetta Cook won first place in a drawing. Cook, a member of Local 1553 (Council 2), will receive a round-trip ticket to the 2011 Women’s Conference (location to be decided).

• fight for the passage of the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (#23) and the Employee Free Choice Act (#60);
• hold politicians that promise – and then fail to support – AFSCME’s agenda accountable (#38);
• fight privatization of Human Services Delivery Systems (#12);
• and urge Congress to pass the Protect America’s Workers Act to extend Occupational Safety and Health Administration coverage to all public employees (#39).

Schultz, as emcee, introduced three AFSCME members who related their successes, including the defeat of a ballot referendum to consolidate public services with another town.

Ken Fortier, a recycling truck driver for the Village of Johnson City, N.Y., and president of Local 3718 (District Council 66), said the union’s 39 members led a coalition that included police and firefighters to stop the measure. Their contract – and almost 100 jobs – was on the line. They succeeded: The measure was defeated by just one vote.

Robin Edwards, president of Child Care Providers Together Michigan/AFSCME Local 3051 (a joint venture between Council 25 and the United Auto Workers), told the story of 40,000 home-based child care providers who won the right to organize – and later a first contract – by helping to re-elect Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) in 2006.

Passing the “Fair Share Act” was the goal of AFSCME Maryland, said Sheila Hill, a corrections officer at the Patuxent Institution in Jessup, Md., and president of Local 1319. Their efforts, including lobbying and a State House rally, paid off: The bill passed by overwhelming margins and became law last year.

The program was preceded by political analyst Donna Brazile, who reminded AFSCME members of the battle that lies ahead in the mid-term elections. “AFSCME is the Green Machine for a reason,” Brazile said. “You don’t wait for politicians, you lead the fight and you’re going to draw a line in November.”

Saunders, Executive Assistant to International President Gerald W. McEntee, received 652,660 votes in the election, followed by Danny Donohue, President, Civil Service Employees Association CSEA)/AFSCME Local 1000 (NY) who received 648,356 votes. A third candidate, Mark Foley, President, Local 2019, California Council 57, received 1,489 votes.

“Danny Donohue and I are both deeply committed to our members and deeply devoted to this union,” Saunders said. “Both of us waged very vigorous and energetic campaigns. I am very grateful for his words of support and look forward to working together to advance the interests of our members and the working people of this country.”

Read the press release for more.

Top Aide to Union President McEntee to be Sworn-in as the Union's Number Two Officer During Friday Morning Session in Boston

BOSTON – Delegates to the 39th International Convention of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, (AFSCME), today elected Lee Saunders to be the next Secretary-Treasurer of the union representing 1.6 million public service workers.

Saunders, Executive Assistant to International President Gerald W. McEntee, received 652,660 votes in the election, followed by Danny Donohue, President, Civil Service Employees Association CSEA)/AFSCME Local 1000 (NY) who received 648,356 votes. A third candidate, Mark Foley, President, Local 2019, California Council 57, received 1,489 votes.

"Danny Donohue and I are both deeply committed to our members and deeply devoted to this union," Saunders said. "Both of us waged very vigorous and energetic campaigns. I am very grateful for his words of support and look forward to working together to advance the interests of our members and the working people of this country.”

President Gerald W. McEntee said the delegates’ decision to elect Saunders “strengthens our leadership and will enhance our ability to face the challenges that await us around the country.”

Saunders will be sworn-in and address the Convention on Friday morning during the Convention's last day of business.

AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations – from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers – AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.

###

American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
1625 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-5687
Telephone (202) 429-1145
Fax (202) 429-1120

On Wednesday, AFSCME members relayed stories of fighting nearly insurmountable odds to form a union and keep it strong. The program was introduced by Lakesha Harrison, President of AFSCME Local 3299 and International Vice President.

Watch those stories below:

Included in the presentations are:

• Jeanetta Caw, a home care worker from the Missouri Home Care Union (Council 72)
• Anna Anaya, whose coworkers voted by a 98% margin to join District Council 37
• Sheila Patrick, a social worker from Council 62 in Kentucky
• Irene Pletner, an interpreter from Washington state preparing for a union election with WFSE Council 28
• Eric Allen, a corrections officer from Council 18 in New Mexico

Today’s Boston Globe features a front page article on Massachusetts’ budget challenges and AFSCME members’ powerful demonstration.

Hundreds of members of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, dressed in matching green T-shirts, rallied on Boston Common yesterday as Patrick was signing the budget. They chanted: “Show some guts! No more cuts!’’

“Some of the most vulnerable citizens in Massachusetts will be in danger if these budget cuts go through,’’ said Gerald W. McEntee, the union’s national president, who is in Boston for the union’s national convention. “But we won’t let the politicians balance the budget on our backs, not anymore.’’

Anthony Caso, Executive Director of Council 93 and an International Vice-President, said the union’s members “are fed up with politicians like Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) who abandoned workers last week” by opposing the jobs bill. “Today, AFSCME makes its mark on Boston Common, and we are ready to fight and ready to lead!”

Locally, Council 93 members are fighting to prevent the planned closure of four of the state’s six long-term residential hospitals for the developmentally disabled, to keep all branches of the city’s public libraries open and prevent layoffs of library employees. The council also wants fair, equitable contracts for thousands of higher education workers represented by the union.

Four members of Council 93 also addressed the rally: Elissa Cadillic, president of Boston Public library Local 1526; Michael Thomas, president of an organization of Council 93’s human services locals; Kevin Hanley, Massachusetts State and Community Colleges Local 1067; and Francis Martin, president of University of Massachusetts – Amherst Local 1776.

After the rally, hundreds of AFSCME activists marched to City Hall to support the library workers. The Boston Globe also reported that as the city council was deciding the municipal budget for the new fiscal year, “The sea of protesters made such a ruckus that their chants — “Stop the cuts!’’ — echoed in the fifth-floor council chamber.”

Some of the myths that were dispelled yesterday include:

• our salaries are bloated (AFSCME members earn, on average, $45,000 a year);
• we have too much influence in politics (corporations outspend unions five to one in political contributions);
• and our pensions are bankrupting governments (the average AFSCME member earns, after a career of service, approximately $18,000 a year in benefits).

From left, JoAnn Burk from Wisconsin Child Care Providers Together/Local 373 (Council 40) shares ideas with New York’s Carolyn Cox of Local 95 (DC 1707) at the Early Childhood Education caucus. (See more caucus photos in our Convention photo gallery.)

UNITE HERE! Pres. John Wilhelm addressed delegates Wednesday on the importance of labor solidarity and thanked AFSCME members for supporting his union’s fights throughout the years.

“I literally can’t begin to count the number of times AFSCME has stood with the members of UNITE HERE! in strikes, picket lines, rallies and boycotts,” Wilhelm said.

He recounted how AFSCME members rallied in favor of the strike against the New Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas in the 1990s, which lasted for more than six years and became one of the longest strikes in recent American labor history.

“Now they’re going after public employees,” Wilhelm said. “You have been with us, and UNITE HERE! and our members will always stand in solidarity with you.”

• expand its affiliate online program to help councils and locals enhance their member communications and activism (#13);
• work with councils to help establish worker participation in deferred compensation boards across the country (#42);
• fight to implement measures to tax the rich in every state to help fund jobs and public services (#51);
• support trained union-provided advocates for workers facing reasonable accommodation issues (#74);
• and make attempts to change the Family and Medical Leave Act to include time on medical leave and worker’s compensation leave as time worked (#75).

“Because of that funding, my pink slip never came, and the vital services I provide to improve my community’s youth were spared,” said Cosby, vice president of Local 2707 (Council 79). “The economic recovery bill saved my job and hundreds of thousands of other jobs like mine.”

Then William LeBeau, a police lieutenant for the city of Cohoes and also a member of the statewide executive board of New York State Law Enforcement Officers Union/District Council 82, urged everyone in the session to text the word “Happen” to the number 6-9-8-6-6 on their cell phones.

That action signed up delegates to receive AFSCME text alerts to call Congress when it takes up important legislation that invests in public services and eases state and local budget shortfalls. “We are the ones who have the power to make this happen!” LeBeau said.

As of this morning, thousands of calls had been made.

BOSTON — “We are encouraged that Senator Brown acknowledges that working families face dire financial straits, but his bill falls far short of what is needed to deal with the unprecedented state budget crisis. Moreover, he proposes to pay for his bill by cutting other essential programs funded by President Obama's Recovery Act. Without the help provided under the Senate jobs bill, which Senator Brown continues to block, there will be devastating cuts to vital public services and major job losses in both the public and private sectors.”

AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations – from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers – AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.

###

American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
1625 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-5687
Telephone (202) 429-1145
Fax (202) 429-1120

Contact: Jim Durkin, 617-376-6012
Korey Hartwich, 617-954-3401

AFSCME Rallies to Demand Aid, Promote Jobs, Protect Services

BOSTON – Dire economic predictions turn to reality this week as states prepare for a new fiscal year without billions of dollars in federal Medicaid assistance, small-business tax breaks, and education funding that Congress has failed to pass. Thousands of AFSCME activists from across the country rallied on Boston Common on Wednesday to demand that Congress help state and local governments fill budget gaps to keep Americans working and protect vital public services that support our communities.

“Right now, services and jobs are on the line. America’s workers, with families to support and bills to pay, just can’t wait for Congress any longer,” said AFSCME International President Gerald W. McEntee. “With each vote against the jobs bills in Congress, Washington is slamming the door in the faces of hard-working Americans wondering what they did to lose their jobs, cops, teachers and child-care. States have reached the point of no return and are now facing economic crises of historic proportions. It’s time for Congress to pass a real jobs bill.”

More than 30 states counted on $24 billion in FMAP funds — money which helps states cover the cost of Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor — while drawing up their 2011 FY budgets. Without this funding, states will be forced to siphon money from other programs in order to close the gap. The results of this shifting will be devastating, and it is likely states will start to see the effects this week.

The rally on Boston Common was also aimed at Massachusetts and Boston politicians who are threatening to close the state’s facilities for people with developmental disabilities and make devastating cuts to the city’s public libraries. The rally called for fair contracts for Massachusetts’ higher education workers represented by AFSCME.

“We are struggling with politicians who want to place the burden of our economic crisis on the backs of public employees and the less fortunate members of society who rely on AFSCME members for essential public services,” said Tony Caso, Executive Director of AFSCME Council 93 and AFSCME International Vice President. “If they think they can beat us then they don’t know what AFSCME is about. When we put our hearts and soul into a fight — nothing can stop us!”

On this last day of the fiscal year in most states, efforts are underway throughout the nation to urge Congress to end the GOP filibuster on the jobs bill and enact legislation to help the unemployed and states dealing with unprecedented budget shortfalls. Ten governors are holding a joint afternoon press conference in Washington, D.C., and rallies are taking place in 18 states. AFSCME members are fighting to preserve essential public services and for working families across the country.

AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations – from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers – AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.

###

American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
1625 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-5687
Telephone (202) 429-1145
Fax (202) 429-1120

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

At the close of Convention business this afternoon, thousands of AFSCME delegates and guests will head to Boston Common to rally with members of Council 93 Massachusetts to oppose dangerous cuts in services across the nation and for the jobs that America needs to boost the economy.

A dramatic, full-page ad in today’s Boston Globe illustrates the concerns of AFSCME members and points out to Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown that while the deficit matters, jobs matter more.

The rally on Boston Common is part of a series of events taking place across the nation today, the last day of the fiscal year for many states, to urge Congress to end the GOP filibuster on the jobs bill and enact legislation to help the unemployed and states dealing with unprecedented budget shortfalls.

A bipartisan group of ten governors are holding a joint afternoon press conference in Washington, D.C., and rallies are taking place in 18 states including Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee.

The post-Convention rally is also aimed at Massachusetts and Boston politicians who are threatening to close the state’s facilities for people with developmental disabilities and make devastating cuts to the city’s public libraries. The rally will call for fair contracts for Massachusetts’ higher education workers represented by AFSCME.

• continue to combat efforts to undermine our members’ retirement security and reaffirm support for defined benefit pension plans (#18);
• collaborate with other health care unions in developing criteria for the implementation of Health Information Technology systems (#5);
• have its leadership bodies at every level of the union to reflect its growing female membership (#3);
• and participate in labor-management efforts to improve the cost effectiveness of public services and help stop privatization (#73).

Retirees Phyllis Zamarripa (CO Chapter 76) and Howard Van Kleef (OH Chapter 1184), along with Next Wave activists Tamika Nared, Local 1439 (PA Council 13), and Elvyss Arguetta, Local 88 (OR Council 75) starred in a video showing their recent cross-country trip visiting local affiliates. Their goal: to experience AFSCME through its history, activism, lobbying and organizing efforts.

The camaraderie they displayed showed how generations of AFSCME leaders can learn from each other to improve the lives of working people.

Contact: Korey Hartwich, 617-954-3401

BOSTON — On this last day of the fiscal year in most states, efforts are underway throughout the nation to urge Congress to end the GOP filibuster on the jobs bill and enact legislation to help the unemployed and states dealing with unprecedented budget shortfalls. Ten governors are holding a joint afternoon press conference and rallies are taking place in 18 states:

• Thousands of state and local government employees gathered in Boston for the AFSCME Convention will rally at the Parkman Bandstand in the Boston Common at 3:15 p.m.
• Governors from six states plan a Washington, D.C. press conference to highlight the need for immediate help for state and local governments, including: Governors Granholm (MI), Gregoire (WA), Parkinson (KS), Patterson (NY), O'Malley (MD) and Rendell (PA). They will be joined via telephone by Governors Quinn (IL), Ritter (CO), Schwarzenegger (CA) and Rell (CN).
• AFL-CIO members are rallying at the offices of 17 Republican Senators who opposed the jobs bill last week, including events in: Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee.

AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations – from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers – AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.

###

American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
1625 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-5687
Telephone (202) 429-1145
Fax (202) 429-1120

Contact: Jim Durkin, 617-376-6012
Korey Hartwich, 617-954-3401

Nation’s largest public service union to rally today on Boston Common to promote jobs, stop devastating cuts to key services

BOSTON — The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, is rallying on Boston Common on Wednesday, June 30 to oppose dangerous cuts in services across the nation. They will fight for the jobs that America needs to boost the economy and build a future of prosperity for all.

They are rallying in Boston to stop the closure of the state’s facilities for people with developmental disabilities and devastating cuts to the city’s public libraries. The rally will also call for fair contracts for Massachusetts’ higher education workers represented by AFSCME.

WHO: Thousands of AFSCME activists from across the United States attending the national Convention at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center will rally with members of AFSCME Council 93 Massachusetts. AFSCME is the nation’s largest public service union with 1.6 million members.

WHAT: Rally with strong visuals and powerful speakers, including:

• AFSCME International President Gerald W. McEntee
• Anthony Caso, Executive Director, AFSCME Council 93
• Elissa Cadillic, President, AFSCME Local 1526, Boston Public Library
• Michael Thomas, President, Local 65, SUMMUP (Massachusetts Human Services locals)
• Kevin Hanley, Local 1067, Massachusetts State and Community Colleges
• Francis Martin, President, Local 1776, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

WHEN: 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, June 30

WHERE: Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common

WHY: With the nation continuing to suffer through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the public services that AFSCME members provide are more vital than ever. But elected leaders are making misguided decisions that threaten the health and safety of the people and communities that depend on public employees. They are making harmful budget cuts to education and local governments, undermining AFSCME members’ ability to provide vital public services that make Boston and our nation strong and proud. AFSCME members are fighting to preserve essential public services.

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center documents more than $300 million in cuts to vital social services in Massachusetts, resulting from Congressional Republicans blocking the jobs bill with help for state and local budgets, including:

• $65.5 million from education, including:

  • $8.65 million from child care/early education
  • $23.5 million from K-12
  • $32.9 million from higher education
• $81.3 from MassHealth, including cuts in dental health benefits that will affect nearly 700,000 adults
• $1.9 million from early intervention public health programs
• $2.2 million from local aid
• $4.2 million from the state police
• $5 million from summer jobs for youth

AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations – from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers – AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.

###

American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
1625 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-5687
Telephone (202) 429-1145
Fax (202) 429-1120

Candidate: Danny Donohue, President, Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA)/AFSCME Local 1000 (NY) and IVP

Nominated by: Veronica Montgomery-Costa, President of DC 37 (NY) and IVP

Seconded by: Denise Berkley, Statewide Secretary, CSEA (NY). Roberta Lynch, Deputy Director, Council 31 (IL) and IVP. Henry Nicholas, President, National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees (NUHHCE)/Local 1199 (PA) and IVP. Eliot Seide, Executive Director, Council 5 (MN) and IVP; and Jaimie Sorenson, President, Local 328 (OR Council 75)

Candidate: Mark Foley, President, Local 2019 (CA Council 57)

Nominated by: George Cleveland, Membership Secretary, Local 2019 (CA Council 57)

Candidate: Lee Saunders, Executive Assistant to the International President

Nominated by: Gerald W. McEntee, International President, AFSCME

Seconded by: Sherryl Gordon, Executive Director, Council 1 (NY) and IVP; Laura Reyes, President, UDW Homecare Providers Union/Local 3930 (CA) and IVP; Lillian Roberts, Executive Director, DC 37 (NY); Joseph Rugola, President, Ohio Association of School Employees (OAPSE)/Local 4 and IVP; and Braulio Torres, Vice President, Servidores Públicos Unidos (SPU)/Council 95 (PR) and IVP

“With his death, labor lost a true champion for working families,” Pres. McEntee said. A video presentation showed highlights of Kennedy’s career and his long relationship with AFSCME.

Kennedy’s widow Victoria Reggie Kennedy commended the union for working arm-in-arm with her late husband. “He said to me many times that AFSCME members were working not out of a sense of their own personal benefit,” she said, “but out of a great sense of obligation to their fellow Americans.”

Vicki Kennedy’s full remarks are available on the Convention video page.

Trumka recognized the success of AFSCME’s organizing program, saying, “Of all the unions of the AFL-CIO, AFSCME is the largest and fastest-growing. Even in the face of an economic crisis, large-scale layoffs, and the scapegoating of public employees by politicians from both parties, more than 145,000 workers have organized with AFSCME over the past four years.”

He spoke of the “triple whammy” state and local governments are up against. “With the severe recession and soaring unemployment, tax revenues are taking a dive. The financial crisis and the busted bubbles from Wall Street’s shenanigans are taking a big bite out of pension funds. And now as always, when hard times hit, the demand for public services actually increases — from unemployment compensation to job training, public assistance, and mental health care.”

And he defended public service workers:

“It’s bad enough that public employees are being made the fall guys for the economic crisis. But now politicians and pundits are trying to make you out as fat cats… I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say that, if you want to get rich in America today, you’ve got to work for the government…

“Even with all the woes on Wall Street, I don’t think you’ve found many hedge fund managers taking jobs as hospital workers or highway workers, or many stockbrokers changing careers to become social workers or sanitation workers, or many bankers who are becoming bus drivers or bridge and tunnel inspectors…

“Because, when you come down to it, almost everyone understands that you don’t become a public employee to become wealthy, you do it to be of service to your fellow citizens.”

Watch the full video on the AFSCME Convention website and read the full transcript.

The Retirees Council held its annual meeting on Saturday and Sunday, marking 30 years of progress. On Sunday, delegates reelected Chair Jerry LaPoint (Wisconsin Chapter 7), Vice-Chair Gary Tavormina (New York Chapter 82), and Secretary Loneste Blackwell (Ohio Chapter 1184).

The end of an era came to pass on Monday, as delegates said goodbye to former AFSCME Sec.-Treas. William Lucy, marking the end of a 57-year relationship.

Bidding farewell amid chants of “Thank you, Bill,” Lucy stressed the importance of fighting for social justice, a commitment that has characterized his public service career.

“We’ve always known that there’s a crisis. It may be more intense now, but there’s always been a crisis for millions of people not as lucky as we are in this room,” Lucy said. “There’s a daily crisis in their lives, as they struggle to put bread on their tables, to put clothes on their backs, to have a roof on their heads. We have a responsibility to help them out.”

A video tribute highlighted Lucy’s trajectory as a tireless fighter for equality and economic fairness. Opening with the famous A. Philip Randolph quote: “Freedom is never given, it is won,” the presentation recounted Lucy’s work alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in civil rights struggles and his support for Nelson Mandela.

At the end of the ceremony, President McEntee presented Lucy with a tribute book from AFSCME members thanking him for his contributions. From the Convention floor, several delegates shared their thoughts on the impact Lucy’s work had on our union and the American labor movement.

Lucy, who was first elected secretary-treasurer in May 1972, has been actively involved in international affairs. He collaborated with King during the 1968 strike by AFSCME Local 1733 sanitation workers in Memphis until the civil rights leader’s assassination. He was also one of the founders of the Free South Africa Movement that launched the successful anti-apartheid campaign in the United States in the mid-1980s.

Lucy is a founder and the president of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), an organization of union leaders and rank-and-file members dedicated to the unique needs of African Americans and minority group workers.

“We need a new jobs bill that continues to fund our economic recovery. That jobs bill exists right now in Congress. It includes resources to help states avoid massive layoffs. Unfortunately, this bill is on life support. Just last week, Senate Republicans blocked the bill for the second time. They again decided to play politics with our lives and our jobs.”

McEntee also pointed to the recent Senate runoff in Arkansas where AFSCME’s accountability campaign put the incumbent “on the ropes and fighting for her political life.”

“We support the politicians who support working families. But these politicians, whether they are Democrats or Republicans, must understand: We are holding you accountable. You are not above the people who elected you. And if you turn on us you will pay the price!”

McEntee also talked about the hard work of AFSCME members around the country, calling them “unsung heroes from communities across this nation.” Among those were:

• Ralph Miller, president of Los Angeles County Probation Officers Union, Local 685, who helped a young gang member turn her life around to become a medical assistant at the University of California, Los Angeles;
• Theresa Bach, president of Missouri Council 72, Local 2093, for not only working two jobs, but also dedicating herself to helping other home care workers join the union;
• Jean Thompson of Pennsylvania Council 13, Local 2582, who worked with the community food bank in Fayette County to help the sisters and brothers of her union get through a very tough period; and
• AFSCME members from across the nation who traveled to Haiti after the tragic earthquake to help rescue victims and rebuild.

Read more in this press release.

“Like virtually every other Council in the nation, we are struggling. Struggling with declining revenues, with budget cuts and layoffs. Struggling with attempts to eliminate or weaken our collective bargaining rights and with efforts to reduce our retirement and health insurance benefits.

“We are also struggling with politicians who want to place the burden of our economic crisis on the backs of public employees and the less fortunate members of society who rely on AFSCME members for essential public services.

“But let me tell you something brothers and sisters, if they think they can beat us then they don’t know what AFSCME is about… Because if they did, they would know that AFSCME does not stand idly by and let others take away things we have fought so hard to obtain. They would know that when we put our hearts and soul into a fight — nothing can stop us!”

Regina Holloman, chief shop steward for Local 2218 (New Jersey Council 71), was first of more than 4,600 delegates and alternates to register for AFSCME’s 39th International Convention.

This is Holloman’s first time as a regular delegate (she was an alternate at the last Convention in San Francisco). “So I get to vote!” exclaims the human services assistant for the Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Hammonton, N.J.

BOSTON — As the 2010 Convention of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME) kicked off in Boston, Pres. Gerald W. McEntee called on Congress to pass legislation to promote jobs and protect public services, while demanding that politicians be held accountable for their promises to working people.

“We need a new jobs bill that continues to fund our economic recovery. That jobs bill exists right now in Congress. It includes resources to help states avoid massive layoffs. Unfortunately, this bill is on life support,” McEntee told Convention delegates. “Just last week, Senate Republicans blocked the bill for the second time. They again decided to play politics with our lives and our jobs.”

McEntee pointed to the recent Arkansas Senate election, where AFSCME’s accountability campaign put the incumbent “on the ropes and fighting for her political life.” He made it clear that the union was laying down a political marker and demanding accountability from political leaders. “We support the politicians who support working families. But these politicians, whether they are Democrats or Republicans, must understand: We are holding you accountable. You are not above the people who elected you. And if you turn on us you will pay the price!”

President McEntee deplored the use of the recession by politicians to attack public employees who provide the vital services that make our communities good places to live. “They're using this recession as an excuse to privatize our work, raid our pensions and cut our jobs,” McEntee said.

McEntee reminded delegates that AFSCME has a responsibility to fight for the interests of all working people. “They’ve never faced such an onslaught from all sides,” said McEntee. “Our mission is nothing short of ensuring that America lives up to its tremendous promise and boundless potential.” The union’s agenda is to secure “Decent jobs that allow people to support their families, retirement security that gives us peace of mind, and public services that are worthy of this great nation.”

McEntee pointed out the challenges facing workers who have lost their homes, their jobs and their pensions during these difficult times. “Today 27 million Americans are either out of work or can’t find more than part-time jobs. The divide between the rich and the poor is as wide as the Grand Canyon. People see their dreams of security evaporating.”

McEntee noted that President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act saved or created 2.8 million jobs. With the funding for public services provided by the act running soon, he called on Congress to do more to put Americans back to work and get the economy back on track.

McEntee attacked corporate CEOs who “build their own wealth by tearing down workers and the middle class.” He specifically called out companies taking advantage of America. “The big banks that make nothing yet reap billions of dollars by selling empty promises. The mortgage companies that cost working families their homes and savings. The prison companies and other privateers that steal our jobs – and get paid millions to do a half-assed job that YOU have to clean up later.”

McEntee also talked about the hard work of AFSCME members around the country, calling them “unsung heroes from communities across this nation.” Among those were:

• Ralph Miller, president of Los Angeles County Probation Officers Union, Local 685, who helped a young gang member turn her life around to become a medical assistant at the University of California, Los Angeles;
• Theresa Bach, president of Missouri Council 72, Local 2093, for not only working two jobs, but also dedicating herself to helping other home care workers join the union;
• Jean Thompson of Pennsylvania Council 13, Local 2582, who worked with the community food bank in Fayette County to help the sisters and brothers of her union get through a very tough period; and
• AFSCME members from across the nation who traveled to Haiti after the tragic earthquake to help rescue victims and rebuild.

Approximately 5,000 members, activists, leaders and guests from across the nation are in Boston for the week-long Convention, which started today at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. They are building on AFSCME’s great history of success providing vital public services, standing up for communities and promoting prosperity. During his remarks, McEntee asked members to use text messaging technology to urge senators to pass the new jobs bill.

Wednesday afternoon AFSCME members from across the United States will rally with AFSCME Council 93 at the Boston Common to oppose dangerous cuts in services. They will fight for the jobs that America needs to boost the economy and build a future of prosperity for all.

AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations – from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers – AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.

###

American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
1625 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-5687
Telephone (202) 429-1145
Fax (202) 429-1120

Let’s make history!

AFSCME’s 39th International Convention opens in Boston on Monday with more than 5,000 delegates, alternates and guests. Having achieved such ambitious goals as the election of President Barack Obama and this year’s passage of major health care reform, we have proven our activism is second to none.

International Pres. Gerald W. McEntee will set the stage on Monday morning. His keynote address will be followed by a special tribute to William Lucy, who is retiring as secretary-treasurer after holding that position since 1972.

During the action-packed week we’ll rally on behalf of our sisters and brothers from Council 93 who are fighting to retain public services. We will also consider key policy resolutions and Constitutional amendments. In addition, AFSCME members from across the country who perform the same work will have an opportunity to meet at 21 special caucuses to discuss ways to debunk the myths about public services. On Thursday we’ll elect a new secretary-treasurer.

As we gather together this week, we find ourselves fighting what is perhaps our greatest challenge — preserving vital public services in the midst of the worst fiscal crises to face state and local governments since the Great Depression. That’s why this year’s Convention battle cry is “Ready to Fight! Ready to Lead!”

Lawmakers – who in many instances are our bosses – have chosen the easy way out of tough budget choices. Rather than increase revenue by closing corporate tax loopholes and raising taxes on millionaires, they’re cutting jobs, closing libraries, eliminating daycare centers, turning off streetlights and making other misguided decisions that threaten public health and safety.

To preserve the victories we’ve won, we’ve fought in the streets, at the state legislatures and city halls, in the U.S. Congress — even before the federal courts. We’ve had successes and defeats. But the battles are not over. That’s why we must gear up for this November’s crucial state, local and national elections as if our very jobs depend on it — because they do!

Check back regularly starting on Monday for Convention updates, videos and more!