AFSCME members are signing up to be volunteer member organizers (VMOs) in droves, driving incredible growth for our union, delegates to AFSCME’s 46th International Convention in Los Angeles heard.
Astrid Zuniga, a care worker and the president of United Domestic Workers in California, announced that AFSCME has already reached a goal set last year of 2,024 VMOs signed up by the end of 2024.
Sirlentor Berry, from CSEA in New York, said: “VMOs go to places where potential members are working on organizing campaigns — in your city, in your state, or even across the country — to help them understand what a difference being in a union can make to you, your family, and the people you serve.”
Zuniga said: “VMOs can teach potential members how to fight back, how to build power, and how to use that power to win. VMOs are the single greatest asset we as a union have to help people organize with AFSCME.”
Beyond organizing, VMOs also help elect pro-worker officials who have our backs.
“VMOs don’t just help our union to grow, they are also political organizers,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “They are essential to our electoral work, mobilizing the troops for critical campaigns like the one we’re waging right now.”
