WHEREAS:
Our power to represent our fellow workers and our ability to protect our jobs comes from establishing our legal right to exist and to be highly visible in the workplace; and
WHEREAS:
It is risky to rely on the goodwill of the employer to uphold informal agreements allowing union leaders, stewards and activists to perform their union duties in place of strong union-building language in our contracts; and
WHEREAS:
Contract language that codifies our union’s access to worksites, new employee orientation sessions and information about our bargaining units supports internal organizing and ensures our union can maintain its power; and
WHEREAS:
Language on employer neutrality and card check recognition significantly increases our ability to organize new groups of workers within our workplaces; and
WHEREAS:
Negotiating language on payroll dues deduction and PEOPLE deduction can protect our union’s ability to maintain our effectiveness even when statehouses turn against us; and
WHEREAS:
Even in states with no collective bargaining rights, AFSCME locals can still negotiate strong worksite access and union rights into their contracts, enabling us to organize and represent workers despite the barriers placed against us.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
AFSCME affiliates will negotiate for contract language that establishes access to the worksite and union leave with and/or without pay for stewards and member activists in order to increase our capacity to support union activity; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
Affiliates will negotiate language on new employee orientation, bargaining unit lists, employer neutrality commitments, card check recognition procedures, accretion language and union leave for external organizing opportunities to strengthen our ability to internally organize and maintain our strength in the workplace; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
Affiliates will negotiate contract language that codifies our ability to deduct membership dues and PEOPLE contributions through payroll deduction, and will proactively establish a process to transition to alternatives should payroll or PEOPLE deduction become prohibited under state law; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
AFSCME affiliates will continue to negotiate union building contract language even in states where these rights are constitutionally or statutorily enshrined, in order to continually fight for increased presence of AFSCME in our workplaces; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
The International Union will support affiliates in building union power at the bargaining table by highlighting the importance of contract provisions that strengthen the union, sharing good contract language and promoting successful strategies for securing these gains among affiliates.
SUBMITTED BY:
Greg Boulware, President
Joan Gallagher, Secretary-Treasurer
District Council 33
Pennsylvania