Public Employee Press

Local 1549 trains political activists to change the nation’s direction

Change starts one person at a time. And to improve health care policies, increase voter registration and expand PEOPLE participation, Local 1549 provided special political action and advocacy training at the union hall Jan. 26 for 100 members.

“We need a president and elected officials who will reverse the setbacks that labor has suffered at the hands of the conservative anti-labor Republicans who have been running our country for some time now,” DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts told the group.
Roberts also reminded members they are connected to a vast number of people — friends, co-workers and family members — who need to get active and register to vote and participate in the all-important general election in November.

“It is important that they reach out to their co-workers and community to build a mass movement in order to change the direction of the nation,” said Ralph Palladino, 2nd vice president of Local 1549, who helped organize the event.

The session gave special attention to the local’s 2008 legislative agenda, which includes lifting the residency requirement, civilianizing clerical-administrative jobs in the Police Dept. and eliminating the 1-in-3 rule on civil service promotions.

Additional priorities for the local include improving family services and benefits such as paid family leave, expanding child care subsidies, enacting universal health care, and passing the Employees Free Choice Act to level the playing field in union organizing drives.
The union also supports fair taxation of the rich and corporations. Rolling back the Bush tax cuts for business and the wealthy would generate more tax revenue that could be used to fund vital public services.

Members at the training program learned how to start real conversations on the union’s issues, and they were encouraged to speak to co-workers and members of their communities to rally support on these issues.

Activists also learned how to get more co-workers to enroll in PEOPLE, Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality, the political action committee of DC 37’s national union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. PEOPLE is one of the largest grassroots fundraising organizations in the nation.

“The policies we have targeted for improvement affect our lives, our families and our communities,” said Palladino. “Our local is one of the largest in DC 37, and because we have great numbers, we can really make change happen if we work together.”