Public Employee Press

Young activists are ready to build union power

A new generation of DC 37 activists is on the frontline of strengthening unions in the face of the right-wing drive to wipe out organized labor.

About 25 members of DC 37 Locals 371, 372, 375, 420, 768, 1407 and 1549 joined 600 young activists from across the country July 8-10 at AFSCME's second Next Wave Conference in Atlanta, Ga.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, DC 37's parent union, created the Next Wave initiative to recruit and train members 35 and younger to get more involved and assume leadership roles.

"The conference was awesome," said Patient Care Associate Rhonda Carter, 30, a member of Hospital Employees Local 420 who works at Kings County Hospital. "I liked sharing experiences and meeting with others, and now I'm ready to help our local reach out to its newest members."

The conference included workshops on organizing skills, setting up a Next Wave program, striking back at the right-wing attack on unions and fighting for retirement security. The conference included visits to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and the Jimmy Carter Library & Museum. The activists also marched in a demonstration to protest a harsh anti-immigrant law in Georgia.

Speakers included AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee and Secretary-Treasurer Lee Saunders, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Local 1549 Shop Steward William Banfield, a Clerical Associate 2 at the Health and Hospitals Corp.'s Segundo Ruiz Belvis diagnostic clinic in the Bronx, said the conference equipped him with communication skills to reach out to coworkers and address negative impressions of the union. "We want to show that the union is there to help you, not just to collect dues," he said.

Food Health Inspector Ivonne Gomez, 26, called the Next Wave initiative critical for the union's long-term strength. She said she is committed to helping young city employees understand how important the union is for protecting their jobs and defending them from workplace abuses.