By GERALD W. McENTEE
President, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

Sisters and Brothers of DC 37, we are facing the worst anti-public service environment I have ever experienced. I declare a public service state of emergency!

Now is the time to stop the Bush administration from cutting into our wages, pensions and health care. And it’s time to stop New York State Gov. George E. Pataki from destroying public services, including New York City’s modern public hospital system, where 30,000 of your members work.

We must turn around the politics of corruption and special interests. Anyone looking at recent polls can tell that the 15 seats we must win to take back the House for middle America are within reach in this November’s elections. The Senate is a challenge but possible.

We need to talk to voters about the Republicans’ risky retirement plan, the 46 million Americans they’ve left without health insurance and their tax cuts for the wealthy — all paid for by cuts in vital services for the rest of us, such as veterans’ benefits, education, child care and Medicare.

What happens in November will set the stage for the presidential election of 2008. That gives us even more reasons to defeat anti-worker politicians and elect friends of working people. We need some “DC 37 Magic,” like your state-of-the-art computerized phone banks, your powerful Political Action Committee and community associations, and your army of Election Day volunteers who get out the vote.

Tough times, drastic measures
The emergency we face calls for drastic measures. To defeat these anti-worker politicians, we must do things differently. AFSCME created the 21st Century Committee to examine our union from top to bottom and make recommendations for change. Lillian Roberts and International Vice Presidents Eddie Rodriguez of Local 1549 and Joan Reed of Local 2054 were instrumental in this vital process.

The 80 affiliate leaders on the committee and subcommittees received input from members and leaders across the country. After months of town halls, meetings and deliberations, the committee proposed a new game plan, which has been endorsed by the International Executive Board. It has several main points:

First, we have to build member participation like never before. We need everyone involved, and we’ll build a first-rate leadership institute to train them.

Then we have to hold politicians accountable. It’s not enough to elect an official. We have to hold their feet to the fire and make sure they keep their campaign promises. We’ll recruit a 40,000-member army of activists by the 2008 election, register 90 percent of our members and get out the vote big-time.

We must fight to make health care universal and affordable. We can’t keep sacrificing pay increases to keep health care costs down. We will mount a nationwide campaign like we did to defeat Bush’s attempt to privatize Social Security.

Larger, bolder, stronger
We must increase our membership. Numbers give us the force to elect politicians who support us. Numbers give us the power to bargain the best possible contracts. Either we grow or we start to die. In addition, we have to build a stronger organization and create a bold new image for public workers so that we’re respected and appreciated!

Last, we must raise the resources we need to implement this plan. This amounts to three dollars per member per month, implemented gradually over three years. That’s what it will take for us to fight back against the enemies of working people.

And we can’t do any of this without your support. Come August, we’ll be holding our 37th International Convention in Chicago, and I hope your delegates will have your full support to pass the resolutions necessary for us to reclaim our dignity, our dreams and our democracy.