Those efforts succeeded – bringing in 2,500 new members to the AFSCME family.
In Minnesota, Peggy Kinzler and members of Council 65, hold an annual summer picnic for anyone covered by their four contracts. Entire families are invited, where they eat great food, play games and also hear from AFSCME members about the importance of joining their union. The picnics have been a success, but Council 65 members are also employing innovative outreach tactics, connecting with potential members on Instagram, Snapchat and elsewhere.
“I like to think of growing our membership as a task where you are sprinkling seeds and then the next member, organizer, or staff rep will come along and continue to water those seeds, and then all of a sudden those seeds sprout and they become a member,” said Kinzler. “It is the collective, ongoing work of all of us that grows our locals, Councils – our AFSCME.”
Lisa Shelton, a corrections officer and member of Local 159 (District Council 33), recently participated in a blitz in her home town of Philadelphia. A blitz is when union volunteers go into communities or workplaces to talk face-to-face with workers and explain why becoming a union member is so important. Shelton described how energizing it was for her and also how effective it was for workers to hear from people like them.
“When workers meet people who know their struggles on the job and who understand the challenges we all face, talking about joining their union is that much easier,” said Shelton. “I explained how joining AFSCME will take our union to a higher level and how, together, we can make our communities stronger.”
They signed up 500 new members.
And Ashlie Thompson, a member of Nebraska Association of Public Employees/AFSCME, described how NAPE has deployed a new program that connects with potential members who don’t sign up immediately after new employee orientations. They reach out three times over six months to tout recent union victories and contract wins, among other things, to persuade new workers to join NAPE.
“Having these personal, face-to-face conversations has made us stronger,” said Thompson. “As our union has grown, we’ve mobilized more and won more victories, inspiring even more people to join. In fact, we’ve grown by 90% in four years!”
That’s what Convention is all about – learning, sharing and growing our union.
