Public Employee Press

McEntee: Convention proposals will strengthen union

“Dark clouds” have been hanging over the members of District Council 37 and public employees nationwide since Bush and the radical right-wing Republicans took over the government, AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee told DC 37’s local presidents and delegates April 25.

By leading the coalition that stopped Bush from privatizing Social Security, DC 37’s parent union, the 1.4-million member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, had a huge success last year. But public employee pay, pensions, health care and collective bargaining rights are under attack as never before, and only a revamped and revitalized union can meet that challenge, McEntee said.

Self-examination

AFSCME has been taking a top-to-bottom look at itself over the two years since its last nationwide convention, and its 21st Century Committee has come out with recommendations for sweeping change.

College Assistants Local 2054 President Joan Reed serves on the committee, and McEntee praised her, Executive Director Lillian Roberts and Clerical Administrative Employees Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez for their “tremendous contributions” to the work of the committees and its subcommittees.

Roberts supports the proposals, which have been endorsed by the International Executive Board and will be taken up by delegates to the 37th International Convention in Chicago this summer.

At a special meeting of DC 37’s local presidents and again at the Delegates Council, McEntee explained the committee’s five main proposals (see his guest editorial on page 2), answered participants’ questions and called for a strong convention vote in favor of the plan.

“Without these changes, we will not even be able to stand our ground in the face of the growing attack on unions, we will slide backwards,” McEntee said.

With respect to the proposed dues increase, Reed pointed out that dues are higher in many other unions.

Rodriguez, an International Vice President, said he believes the choice for the union is between adopting the 21st Century Committee proposals and “losing our pensions and health care.”