WHEREAS:
William “Bill” Lucy was, and remains, AFSCME’s longest-serving executive officer, having served as Secretary-Treasurer for 38 years; and
WHEREAS:
Soon after joining AFSCME as a young engineer in Richmond, California, in the 1950s, Bill became local union president and later began work on the national staff of AFSCME in 1966. He quickly became a presence wherever AFSCME members were organizing and mobilizing. When the Memphis sanitation workers led their historic strike in 1968, Bill Lucy was there to support them. He is credited with coining the famous and deeply meaningful slogan, “I Am a Man;” and
WHEREAS:
Bill Lucy co-founded and led the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) for more than four decades, creating a seat at the table within the labor movement for Black workers, union members and activists and fostering generations of Black union leaders; and
WHEREAS:
Bill Lucy helped to lead the worldwide labor movement as an officer of Public Services International (PSI) for more than 20 years, and was elected its president in 1994; and
WHEREAS:
Bill Lucy played a leading role in the labor movement’s efforts to secure the freedom of African National Congress (ANC) leader and future South African President Nelson Mandela. Bill Lucy was a co-founder of the Free South Africa Movement (FSAM), which created a coalition of labor, academic and political leaders organizing against apartheid. The importance of the part played by Bill Lucy and by AFSCME in this historic political transformation was made clear in 1990 when Mandela appeared before AFSCME’s 29th International Convention, just over four months after being released from prison. As an ANC official explained Mandela’s appreciation at the time, “If the [AFSCME] convention were on the moon, he’d be going to the moon;” and
WHEREAS:
In 2018, in recognition of his extraordinary service to our union, AFSCME bestowed the title Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus on Bill Lucy; and
WHEREAS:
After his retirement in 2010 and until his passing in September 2024, Bill Lucy continued to support those coming together to fight for dignity, respect and fairness, exemplifying the utmost union solidarity, commitment, perseverance and personal warmth he was known for; and
WHEREAS:
Bill Lucy’s leadership and devotion to AFSCME, CBTU and the U.S. and global labor movement leaves an indelible legacy of organized, mobilized and inspired workers across generations and across the globe.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That this 47th AFSCME International Convention pays tribute to William “Bill” Lucy for his many decades of service to our union and our movement. AFSCME is the powerhouse union that it is today due in large part to his leadership, inspiration and moral clarity; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That we are grateful for Bill Lucy’s solidarity and friendship throughout his 38 years as Secretary-Treasurer. His influence is seen and felt in every corner of our union and in every aspect of the labor movement we lead; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
That we miss our brother, Bill Lucy, and we recommit ourselves in his memory to organizing the unorganized, leading the fight against the bosses and the politicians, and taking on injustice wherever it exists.
SUBMITTED BY:
International Executive Board