WHEREAS:

In the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, "Liberty requires an opportunity to make a living—a living according to the standard of the time, a living which gives man not only enough to live by, but something to live for;" and

WHEREAS:

Across America, many janitors, food service workers, school bus drivers, hospital workers, child care workers, clericals and others employed by public agencies and their contractors receive wages and benefits that do not meet this standard; and

WHEREAS:

Uniforms worn by public employees and paid for by taxpayer dollars, are often made in factories where workers are paid wages and benefits that fall well short of this standard; and

WHEREAS:

History has shown that being represented by a union is the best way for men and women to insure that their families have something to live for; and

WHEREAS:

When public employees have the right to organize, public employers have generally respected their right to select a union representative without management interference; and

WHEREAS:

AFSCME and other organizations dedicated to social justice have made a first strike against these deplorable low-wage practices by gaining the adoption of laws requiring public contractors to pay living wages and fair benefits.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME demand that state and local governments help working families reach a decent living standard by requiring that private contractors and recipients of economic development grants, loans, and other forms of corporate welfare provide their employees with living wages and benefits compensation that offers workers something to live for; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME call upon public employers to demand that their contractors and recipients of economic development grants, loans, and other financial benefits adopt the same neutrality with regard to union organizing as the employer itself honors in relations with its own employees; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

That AFSCME demand that when purchasing uniforms and other goods, public employers give preference to those made in the USA and produced by union workers receiving living wages and benefits.

SUBMITTED BY:

Linda Briski, President and Delegate 
Clifford Poehler, Secretary
AFSCME Council 14
Minnesota