WHEREAS:
AFSCME continues to support meaningful campaign finance reform that will make federal candidates more accountable and responsive to ordinary citizens; and
WHEREAS:
The campaign finance reform legislation approved by Congress and signed by President Bush further tilts the political process in favor of wealthy individuals and corporations at the expense of working families. The new law unconstitutionally restricts the ability of unions to conduct advertising on important issues and limits labor's ability to support grassroots voter mobilization activities organized by political parties. The law restricts coordination activities and criminalizes such activity by making it a felony subject to imprisonment and fines. At the same time, the new law doubles the amount that wealthy individuals may contribute to federal candidates, allowing them to exert greater influence in our nation's political process; and
WHEREAS:
Contribution limits on political action committees (PACs) are not indexed to inflation while individual contribution limits are indexed. These contributions from wealthy individuals will eventually surpass those of PACs to candidates and party committees; and
WHEREAS:
The legislation improperly sweeps in state and local elections held in even-numbered years, interfering with the ability of state and local candidates and state parties to raise funds to conduct grassroots activities aimed at increasing voter registration and voter participation; and
WHEREAS:
In 2004, the White House, 33 U.S. Senate seats, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and numerous state and local offices will be up for election. Wealthy individuals, businesses and right-wing organizations that oppose the interests of working families will continue to spend millions of dollars. It is crucial that AFSCME participate fully in these elections to protect AFSCME members' jobs, wages, benefits and working conditions; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME PEOPLE Committees work to implement successful political, legislative, and fund-raising programs. PEOPLE Committees establish grassroots lobbying programs to respond effectively to local, state and national legislative initiatives. PEOPLE Committees develop and maintain a corps of trained, active political volunteers and institutionalize political fundraising. PEOPLE Committees have demonstrated their ability to screen, endorse and campaign for candidates for office and to lobby elected officials. PEOPLE Committees have also demonstrated their skill in raising PEOPLE voluntary funds.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME locals and councils will endeavor to be more active than ever in getting out our political message to our members and the members of other labor unions through use of member to member contact in the workplace, by telephone, direct mail and other means of communication. AFSCME councils and locals will work more closely than ever in coalition with community groups on non-partisan voter participation projects; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That every AFSCME affiliate appoint a PEOPLE fundraising coordinator or, at a minimum, assign that responsibility to a person on staff, to help provide consistent coordination and guidance in order to meet the necessary PEOPLE fundraising goal; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME locals and councils will redouble their efforts to increase participation in the PEOPLE program to raise more 'hard money' that will increase our voice in politics under the new campaign finance rules. AFSCME will adopt as a national goal, the establishment of standing PEOPLE Committees in each local, council and retiree chapter. In those states where more than one council exists, those councils, with the assistance of the International, will develop a joint PEOPLE structure to ensure full participation in the state's political process. Each council and local Director/President will submit to the national PEOPLE Committee the name, address and telephone number of the PEOPLE Committee chairs from their respective councils and locals; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
AFSCME members will continue their excellent political and fundraising work by striving toward a PEOPLE fundraising goal of a minimum of $50.00 per member per year. Affiliates will make it a top priority to reach a minimum goal of 10 percent participation in the PEOPLE Program at the VIP level. Affiliates currently at or above 10 percent participation should strive to increase participation an additional 5 percent.
SUBMITTED BY: INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD