WHEREAS:

            After the November 2010 election it was clear that working families and public services were going to face unprecedented assaults from newly-elected extremist lawmakers; and

WHEREAS:

            At the December 2010 International Executive Board meeting, the Board approved a bold and ambitious plan to face these attacks head on by forming partnerships between affiliates and the International Union in key states; and

WHEREAS:

            Through these partnerships, the International Union deployed staff and resources to our front line battles, revamped our field communications apparatus, ramped up our research capacity to inform our campaigns and worked with affiliates to develop and implement campaign plans that involved increasing member mobilization, coaching and training new activists and leaders and bringing together all of labor, as well old and new allies and community partners; and

WHEREAS:

            In many states and at the national level, Labor Unity tables were formed and labor worked together like never before; and

WHEREAS:

            While we did not beat back every attack, as a result of these partnerships, and the hard work of AFSCME members and the strength of our relationships with allies in the broader labor and progressive movements,  AFSCME won hard-fought victories in states like Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire and Ohio; and

WHEREAS:

            Anti-worker legislators and governors continue to attack working families. The only way to continue to prevail is for AFSCME members to remain united with one another and with our allies in the rest of the labor and progressive movements.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That all of AFSCME remains committed to our battleground state partnership campaigns; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: 

That the International Union will continue to work with affiliates to develop new and innovative campaign models, enhance our communications apparatus, generate sophisticated campaign research, increase member activism, bring new activists and members into the fold and seek out and nurture new community allies; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: 

That the International Union and affiliates remain engaged with the national Labor Unity Table and support the creation and success of state-based unity tables; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

That AFSCME will continue to lead the way in the labor and progressive movements in the defense of working families and public services.