WHEREAS:
AFSCME Retirees, who spent their working careers in public service and continue to support the labor movement in retirement, truly embody AFSCME’s Never Quit spirit; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME Retiree leaders, activists and members may have retired from public service, but they will never stop fighting to protect Americans’ retirement security; and
WHEREAS:
While we have won major organizing, legislative and political victories in the past, we cannot rest. Our work is not done; and
WHEREAS:
Millions of Americans rely on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and public pensions to retire with dignity after a lifetime of work; and
WHEREAS:
Anti-worker politicians continue to attack these programs and attempt to cut them in order to pay for more tax breaks to corporations and billionaires, like they did with the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME Retirees know what is at stake, and we are not backing down. We have taken our fight to the street, to press conferences, to statehouses and to the halls of Congress. Retirees made more than 32,000 phone calls, wrote 16,000 letters and are mobilizing at levels we never have before; and
WHEREAS:
We are committed to continuing to organize retired public service workers as our number one priority because it is the best way to build real, lasting union power to protect and improve our retirement benefits. Since the beginning of 2025 and the start of the AFSCME Get Organized (GO) campaign, we have signed up more than 20,000 retirees as AFSCME members; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME retirees have stepped up and donated at a record pace to PEOPLE, contributing more than $1.3 million since the GO campaign was launched.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME Retirees got the message to GET ORGANIZED and will not rest even after recruiting more than 20,000 new members and raising over $1.3 million in PEOPLE contributions since we launched the AFSCME GO campaign last year; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME Retirees and its 47 chapters will continue to organize and grow by recruiting new retiree members, developing volunteers, leaders and activists to take action to protect retirement security for today’s and tomorrow’s retirees, and to come out and support external organizing campaigns to help potential new AFSCME members hear from experienced members about the power that a union contract can bring; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME Retirees will continue to increase our participation in the PEOPLE program, giving both our time and our money to elect candidates that will protect and expand our retirement benefits; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That we will continue to promote retiree stories in our communications and highlight the fact that the union difference continues into retirement; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
That our union remains committed to protecting and expanding retirement security by increasing membership and PEOPLE contributions and mobilizing members and grassroots lobbyists across the country so that all working people can retire with dignity and peace of mind.
SUBMITTED BY:
Sue Conard, President and Delegate
Retiree Chapter 32
Wisconsin
Jeanne Weaver, President and Delegate
Retiree Chapter 13
Pennsylvania
Donna Smith, President and Delegate
Retiree Chapter 1199U
New Jersey
Michael Nelson, President
Retirees United, Chapter 565
Minnesota and Dakotas