AFSCME Says Organizing is Answer to Attacks
Monday, July 21, 2014(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Despite all the attacks on public sector
workers this year, AFSCME nearly doubled its
goal of helping 50,000 people join
the union, with more
than 90,000
workers choosing AFSCME so far in 2014, AFSCME
President Lee Saunders announced
at the union’s international convention in
Chicago on July 14. More than 20,000
of the new members are home care workers, who
were recently the target of the
troubling Supreme Court ruling in Harris
v. Quinn.
“Today, we are 92,155 members stronger, with
new members from EMTs to home care
workers, and we will continue our fight for the
middle class and the future of
this country,” Saunders said. “Our
opponents want to deplete the labor movement
of resources, steal our power and silence our
voices. They are even
undercutting the most fundamental right we have
as Americans: the right to
vote. Yet, no matter the challenges that face
us, the answer remains the same:
Organize. Organize. Organize...” Thousands of
convention delegates took to the
city’s streets last Wednesday to support
Chicago cab drivers who are organizing
with AFSCME. “This year's
convention sizzled with the spirit
of
solidarity,” said convention delegate Saul
Schniderman (AFSCME Council 26). “It's
good to come together
with union brothers and sisters and
renew your
commitment to the labor movement." Click here for the AFSCME
convention blog. photo by Tessa
Berg/AFSCME