Building AFSCMEs Strength

1
Building AFSCMEs Strength
Power Through Organizing
Title Slide
afscme.org/academy
2
Workshop Objectives
Agenda Slide

• Understand the economic crisis facing working
  families
• Be aware of how declining unionization affects
  our standard of living
• Know about the AFSCME Organizing Program our
  plan for fighting back
• Learn what role YOU can play in organizing the
  unorganized and changing our country

Brendel, Free Software Foundation
afscme.org/academy
3
Working Families are in a Crisis

• Our jobs are being privatized.
• Our retirement security is being
  threatened.
• Healthcare costs are skyrocketing.
• Wealth is funneling to the top like never
  before.

4
Public Services Are Being Privatized
Source ICMA Municipal Year Book, 2002.
5
Union Workers Have Better Health Care and
Pensions
68
Source U.S. Dept. of Labor, BLS, March 2007
6
Health Care Costs Outpace Wage Increases
7
The Growing Gap Between Workers Wages and
Executive Pay
By 2006, CEO pay had grown to 364 times the
average blue collar workers pay -- by far the
widest gap in the world.
In 1980, CEO pay equaled 42 times the average
blue collar workers pay.
For large U.S. corporations surveyed by Business
Week magazine
Source Institute for Policy Studies and United
for a Fair Economy
8
Workshop Objectives
Agenda Slide

• Understand the economic crisis facing working
  families
• Be aware of how declining unionization affects
  our standard of living
• Know about the AFSCME Organizing Program our
  plan for fighting back
• Learn what role YOU can play in organizing the
  unorganized and changing our country.

Recommend Clipart here
afscme.org/academy
9
Fewer Workers Are In Unions
Source AFL-CIO.
10
Union Density by State, 1984
0 to 9
10 to 20
21 to 30
Source U.S. Department of Labor
11
Union Density by State, 2004
0 to 9
10 to 20
21 to 30
Source U.S. Department of Labor
12
Unions Raise Wages
Source U.S. Dept. of Labor, BLS, Jan. 2007
13
Union vs. Non-union wages
14
Organizing the unorganized is a matter of self
interest.

• If we dont raise non-union workers up,
• we will get caught in the race to the bottom!

15
Knowledge Check

• The percentage of workers represented by unions
  in the U.S. peaked in
• The 1950s
• The 1960s
• The 1970s
• The percentage of workers represented by unions
  in 2007 was
• 23
• 18
• 13

16
Answers

• The percentage of workers represented by unions
  in the U.S. peaked in
• Correct Answer - b. The 1960s
• The percentage of workers represented by unions
  in 2007 was
• Correct Answer - c. 13

17
Workshop Objectives
Agenda Slide

• The economic crisis facing working families.
• The effect of declining unionization on our
  standard of living
• The AFSCME Organizing Program our plan for
  fighting back.
• What role YOU can play in organizing the
  unorganized and changing our country.

Recommend Clipart here
afscme.org/academy
18
AFSCME Power To Win Organizing Plan

• Grow the Union by 5 each year.
• Establish and strengthen Organizing Departments
  in every AFSCME Council.
• Recruit and train Volunteer Member Organizers
  (VMOs).
• Develop strategic organizing plans that leverage
  the resources and power we have at every level of
  the union.
• Negotiate contract language that helps us
  organize.

19
AFSCME Power To Win Our Strategy

• Win new organizing rights for public employees.
• Organize strategically in the private sector.
• Organize emerging workforces.

20
Organizing Goals International Union

• 2 growth per year
• Recruit and train organizing staff
• Recruit and train VMOs

21
Organizing GoalsMajor Affiliates

• 3 growth per year
• Dedicated Organizing Department
• Strategic organizing plans
• Utilize VMOs

22
Organizing GoalsLocal Unions

• 90 membership in units with collective
  bargaining.
• Majority membership where we dont have
  collective bargaining.
• Negotiate release time for organizing campaigns.
• Negotiate to include uncovered jobs .
• Recruit VMOs.

23
Were Making Progress

• Year Number Organized
• 2001 61,942
• 2002 56,505
• 2003 47,944
• 2004 22,398
• 2005 33,383
• 2006 55,562
• 2007 47,914
• 2001-2007 325,648

24
Success in the Public Sector

• Oklahoma Municipal Workers
• Won the Municipal Employees Collective Bargaining
  Act in 2004.
• Organized 2,100 workers in six cities.

25
Success in the Private Sector

• First Student Inc. bus drivers
• First Student is the largest private provider of
  student transportation in the U.S.
• First Student workers are organizing with AFSCME
  across the country.
• Victories in Indiana, Maine, and Pennsylvania

26
Success in Emerging Workforces

• In-Home Child Care Providers
• Receive payment from state government treasuries.
• Not classified as employees, so no workers
  comp, safety and health laws, etc.
• Have organized with AFSCME in eleven states.

27
We Face Real Obstacles

• Organizing isnt a top priority for some councils
• No right to organize in many states and local
  governments
• Weak labor laws
• Retaliation from employers against workers who
  try to organize
• Employers hire professional union busters

28
Knowledge Check

• The Plan adopted by delegates to the 2006
  International Convention challenges the union to
  grow AFSCME by
• 1 per year
• 5 per year
• 20 per year
• 25 per year
• VMO stands for
• Very Motivated Organizer
• Volunteer Member Organizer
• Voting More Often

29
Answers

• The Plan adopted by delegates to the 2006
  International Convention challenges the union to
  grow AFSCME by
• Correct answer - b. 5 per year
• VMO stands for
• Correct answer - b. Volunteer Member Organizer

30
Workshop Objectives
Agenda Slide

• The economic crisis facing working families.
• The effect of declining unionization on our
  standard of living
• The AFSCME Organizing Program our plan for
  fighting back.
• What role YOU can play in organizing the
  unorganized and changing our country.

afscme.org/academy
31
How can you combat the obstacles to organizing?

• Encourage your union to have an active organizing
  program.
• Commit resources.
• Identify unorganized workers who do the same work
  as we do.
• Become a VMO.
• Negotiate organizing friendly language.
• Find out where political candidates stand on
  organizing and ask them for their support.

32
Become a Volunteer Member Organizer VMO.

• You are the most credible voice in a
  unionorganizing campaign.

• Inspire unorganized workers
• by educating them about the
• benefits of union membership.
• Help unorganized workers overcome fear.
• Build local union awareness about the
  necessity of organizing.
• Gain skills to help build your own union.

33
Bargain to Organize

• Release time to work on organizing campaigns
• Negotiate to bring uncovered job titles within
  our bargaining units

34
Build Political Support for Organizing

• Recruit politicians who understand and support
  the right to organize.
• Ask politicians to publicly support workers
  involved in organizing

35
Generations of AFSCME members have taken risks

• Philadelphia 1938
• City public works employees face layoffs and 30
  wage cut.
• Four-day strike. City tries to bring in
  strike-breakers.
• Victory! Cuts rescinded. First signed agreement
  with a major U.S. city.

36
Generations of AFSCME members have taken risks
Striking sanitation workers in AFSCME Local 1733
fighting for respect and recognition in Memphis
in 1968
37
Generations of AFSCME members have taken risks

• AFSCME Local 101 members march in San Jose, CA
  during the nations first strike for pay equity.

38
Now, Its Our Turn

• What will our grandchildren say about OUR
  generation of AFSCME members?

39
Additional Information
Closing Slide Option 1

• For more information, contact the
• Organizing and Field Services Department at
• ? OFSmail_at_afscme.org

afscme.org/academy