WHEREAS:
Our nation’s economic policies are overly influenced by the ultra-wealthy and corporate interests, and it is increasingly difficult for working families to put food on the table and find affordable transportation and housing; and
WHEREAS:
Strong unions give workers a collective voice to demand better pay, benefits and working conditions. Members who have successfully organized unions say the changes in their workplaces are life-changing. National statistics confirm that earnings for union members are 19% higher than for non-union workers; and
WHEREAS:
Even though there is overwhelming support for unions, with 70% of U.S. workers interested in unionization, the percentage of workers in the U.S. who belong to a union remains at 10%, down from 20% in 1983; and
WHEREAS:
External organizing strengthens the labor movement by bringing the benefits of union membership to more workers; and
WHEREAS:
The union’s strength at the bargaining table is directly impacted by how well we are organized internally; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME members have unique knowledge of issues facing workers in similar jobs and are well-positioned to educate workers on the benefits of joining a union; and
WHEREAS:
Our union has long been an organizing leader in the labor movement, and our strategic research and analytic capabilities are continuously improving; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME organized a total of 31,000 new workers into the union in 2024 and 2025, and our total membership grew by more than 50,000 in 2025; and
WHEREAS:
Public-sector workers are excluded from the National Labor Relations Act and their right to organize has not been recognized in federal law; and
WHEREAS:
The Trump administration’s National Labor Relations Board is stacked with anti-union board members and leadership who do their utmost to delay and deny private-sector workers’ efforts to unionize, and the board’s powers to enforce U.S. labor law have been severely diminished.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME continues to leverage its political power and build on our recent successes in expanding collective bargaining rights in states like Colorado and Texas. We will challenge public officeholders and political candidates to demonstrate their commitment to collective bargaining, and we will hold employers accountable for anti-union behavior; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will support efforts in Congress to expand collective bargaining rights for public-sector workers, such as the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, which would recognize the right of all public-sector employees to collectively bargain, and to restore the effectiveness of U.S. labor law for private-sector workers with the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will continue to seek representation rights for all unorganized public-sector workers at the state and local levels, and will work to enact collective bargaining laws in states where they do not currently exist; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will encourage and support efforts of its affiliates in states without collective bargaining rights in the pursuit of legislative strategies that create outcomes similar to collective bargaining agreements, such as civil service protections, meet and confer agreements, consultation agreements and cost of living adjustment campaigns; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will fight for full collective bargaining rights for the thousands of AFSCME members currently subject to meet and discuss provisions for no other reason than the work they do, including first-level supervisors in Pennsylvania; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME affiliates will identify, recruit and develop activists and volunteer member organizers (VMOs) to support internal and external organizing campaigns in both the public and private sectors; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
That AFSCME reaffirms its commitment to building union strength through internal and external organizing and expanding collective bargaining rights for all workers.
SUBMITTED BY:
International Executive Board