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PEP Sept 2014
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Public Employee Press

AFSCME convention celebrates 92,000 new members and honors Lillian Roberts
Convention marks organizing triumph

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

Some 4,000 delegates at the July 14-18 International Convention of DC 37's 1.6 million-member parent union celebrated the tremendous feat of signing up 92,000 new members in 2014 to answer right-wing attacks on public-service workers and honored DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts with the union's Lifetime Achievement Award for her 60 years of dedicated service.

Roberts led a robust contingent of 300 District Council 37 delegates to Chicago's McCormick Convention Center, where they met with their brothers and sisters from locals all over the nation and Puerto Rico to set union policies for the coming years.

AFSCME President Lee Saunders marked his first two years in office with a powerful keynote speech that welcomed the delegates to the union's biennial summit meeting and called on them to be "Bold, Brave and Determined" - the convention's theme - and to "regain our passion, because we are the last line of defense for working families in this country."

"Our political system must be accessible to all of us, not to the highest bidder," Saunders said, blasting the right-wing Republicans who are making it harder for Americans, especially working and poor people and minorities, to exercise their hard-earned constitutional right to vote.

Opening AFSCME's 41st convention, Saunders announced the results of the union's 50,000 Stronger campaign, the organizing drive launched in January to strengthen the union by converting that many agency fee payers to full members. With a magnificent effort by local leaders, staff and hundreds of new Volunteer Member Organizers, the campaign had almost doubled its goal, he reported.

New members added

"Today, we are not just 50,000 stronger, we are 92,155 stronger!" he told the cheering delegates. "We are 92,000 fighters stronger, 92,000 voices stronger!" DC 37's drive, led by Associate Director Henry Garrido, brought in more than 14,000 new members, and ranked second highest nationwide.

Several of the VMOs addressed the convention. The Harris v. Quinn Supreme Court case that aimed to cripple public-sector unions "was funded by billionaires. They wanted us to lose our union," said VMO Vibiana Saavedra, a California home care worker, "but AFSCME was prepared for this assault."

The success of the organizing campaign "proves that determined face-to-face organizing is the best antidote for the gathering storm of attacks against public employees," Saunders said.

Speeches by AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Laura Reyes and Democratic candidates for governor Charlie Crist (Florida) and Mary Burke (Wisconsin) focused on building political and legislative power.

"Unions make a difference," Reyes said. "AFSCME is a powerful voice speaking out for all working families."

In November Burke will be trying to unseat the notorious Gov. Scott Walker, who revoked the bargaining rights of 200,000 Wisconsin public service workers. "I'm fighting for women who don't want politicians messing with our health care, and I'm fighting for workers who were disrespected with the loss of collective bargaining," she said.

Presenting AFSCME's highest award to Lillian Roberts, Saunders said, "Whether it's for a fair contract, or against an outsourcing scheme, whether it's getting members into affordable housing, or fighting harsh budget cuts, this sister has never, ever, backed down."

Resolutions passed

After a 30-minute video tribute featuring messages from former AFSCME president Gerald McEntee, Congress member Charles Rangel, former New York City Mayor David Dinkins and others, the entire convention rose to its feet in applause and Roberts was joined on stage by her family.

"This union is the greatest in the world. It is your voice," Roberts told the delegates. (See article for more on the tribute to Roberts.)

On the convention floor delegates passed many resolutions to set union policies. One called on members to support unionized U.S. Post Office workers by boycotting Staples, which has tried to replace postal branches with its own low-paid non-union services.

The convention passed a resolution introduced by Local 154 President Juan Fernandez that called for the union to work to protect the fundamental right of every American to vote by combatting voter suppression efforts and defending the Voting Rights Act.

"Our delegation worked on resolutions weeks before the convention," Fernandez said. "It's important to learn the process so that our members can participate effectively and be able to take a stand and create policy."

Local 420 President Carmen Charles introduced a resolution that was adopted in support of much-needed immigration reform, "It is time to make comprehensive immigration reform a reality," she said on the convention floor. "It is time for Congress to pass immigration legislation that reflects this nation's strong values, and provides a path to citizenship for our 11 million dedicated and tax-paying immigrants," she said.

U.S. President Barack Obama opened Wednesday's session with a video message to the delegates that praised the dedicated public service workers who "care for patients, responded to 9/11 and clean our streets." He said, "It is unions like AFSCME that have built the largest middle class in the world."

U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez encouraged the delegates to mobilize members aggressively for the upcoming November elections. "Make sure your voices are heard," Perez advised. "Elections have consequences!"

That afternoon thousands of delegates headed downtown and rallied in support of the Chicago taxicab drivers AFSCME is organizing. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has allowed ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber, which amount to unlicensed cabs that grab fares without complying with regulations or paying fair wages. The cabbies have been facing rising lease costs and credit card fees, while fares have been frozen for 10 years.

"I was able to send my kids to college driving a cab," driver Dave Mangum told the rally, "but today I can't afford to take my grandkids to the movies."

"We stand with the cab drivers in Chicago. Whatever they need they will get," Saunders pledged. "It's time for these cab drivers to have a voice and that voice is AFSCME."

Coalition building

Igniting the convention with a fiery speech, the Rev. Dr. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP, told of the broad coalition he has been building statewide behind the weekly Moral Monday protests at the statehouse, involving Republicans and Democrats, union and non-union workers and residents of big progressive cities like Asheville and more conservative rural communities.

"Refusing Medicaid coverage for 500,000 people is not a Republican or Democratic issue, it's a moral issue," Barber said to thunderous applause from the delegates.

During the week-long conference delegates participated in 7:30 a.m. and afternoon workshops on topics including labor history, pensions, communication skills and organizing non-traditional workers, as well as constituency group meetings of Latino, African American, Asian-Pacific and gay unionists.

Local 1407 President and DC 37 Treasurer Maf Misbah Uddin was a featured speaker in a workshop on religious diversity. SSEU Local 371 President Anthony Wells was a panelist in a workshop on social service employees, and Local 371 Executive Vice President Yolanda Pumarejo led the Latino Caucus. Roberts, Local 420 President Carmen Charles and Local 1549 Recording Secretary Carmen Flores joined Saunders, Reyes and many delegates who discussed women's issues at the convention's Women's World Café.

Immediately before the convention, President Rochelle Mangual and other representatives of the DC 37 Retiree Association participated in a meeting of AFSCME's Retiree Council, where their continued activism received high praise from Saunders and Reyes.

"It was a great convention," Roberts said. "It's a valuable experience for our delegates to see what is happening around the country. And going forward with 92,000 new members is just amazing. The VMOs did a fantastic job."



 
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