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WORKSThe Magazine of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIOSPRING 2013AFSCME.ORGORGANIZE!We’re strengthening our union,one member at a time. SEE PAGE 12

The Urgencyof NowIn 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke aboutthe “fierce urgency of now,” adding, “there issuch a thing as being too late.” That guides ustoday as we face urgent needs on many fronts.We are marching on Capitol Hill and in citiesacross the country, demanding comprehensiveimmigration reform (p. 18). We must ensure ourcountry’s economic recovery is no longer undercutby businesses dodging their tax responsibilitiesand exploiting voiceless immigrant labor.We are fighting privatization (p. 24), undauntedby corporations with far deeper pockets than ourown seeking to buy public services and line theirown pockets. It’s our responsibility to help protecttaxpayers’ interests – our interests.During an organizing home visit, Pres. Lee Saunders talks withMemphis school custodian Darreon Hamer (Local 1733) aboutthe importance of union solidarity.With workers organizing from California (p. 8) to Vermont (p. 12) to Memphis (p. 31), volunteer memberorganizers and our leaders are hitting the doors and talking about the value of AFSCME as a voice for allworking people.And we are fearless in the face of urgency. When bombs detonated during the Boston Marathon, we ranwith our sisters and brothers in public service toward danger. We rescued victims, cleared debris and comfortedthe wounded and frightened. (Back page) We were there for the ensuing manhunt, keeping streetsclear and citizens safe.The urgency of now doesn’t shake us. We rise to meet every challenge, every day, in every city and state.INSIDECOVER STORY:ORGANIZE!Growing ourunion is urgentbusiness. Thetime to organizeis RIGHT NOW.p12IMMIGRATION REFORMIt’s about fairpay and a strongeconomy – so thatwe all win. p18RESOURCESCheck out greatdiscounts oninsurance,mortgageassistance andeven pet supplies.p21WE ARE FAMILYHer union sisteris her mother.Solidarity startsat their dinnertable. p22PRISON PRIVATIZATIONBarbed wire isn’tstrong enough tocontain corporategreed. p24PRESIDENTLee SaundersSECRETARY-TREASURERLaura ReyesINTERNATIONALVICE PRESIDENTSKen AllenPORTLAND, OREGONHenry BayerCHICAGO, ILLINOISKen Deitz, RNSAN DIMAS, CALIFORNIAGreg DevereuxOLYMPIA, WASHINGTONDanny DonohueALBANY, NEW YORKDavid FillmanHARRISBURG,PENNSYLVANIAMichael FoxHARRISBURG,PENNSYLVANIAKathleen GarrisonLATHAM, NEW YORKRaglan George Jr.NEW YORK, NEW YORKMattie HarrellWILLIAMSTOWN, NEWJERSEYJohanna Puno HesterSAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIADanny HomanDES MOINES, IOWASalvatore LucianoNEW BRITAIN,CONNECTICUTJohn LyallWORTHINGTON, OHIOKathryn LybargerOAKLAND, CALIFORNIARoberta LynchCHICAGO, ILLINOISChristopher MabeWESTERVILLE, OHIOGlenard Middleton Sr.BALTIMORE, MARYLANDRalph MillerLOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIAGary MitchellMADISON, WISCONSINDouglas Moore Jr.SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIAFrank MoroneyBOSTON,MASSACHUSETTSHenry NicholasPHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIARandy PerreiraHONOLULU, HAWAIIGreg PowellAUSTIN, TEXASLillian RobertsNEW YORK, NEW YORKEddie RodriguezNEW YORK, NEW YORKLawrence RoehrigLANSING, MICHIGANJoseph RugolaCOLUMBUS, OHIOEliot SeideSOUTH ST. PAUL,MINNESOTAMary SullivanALBANY, NEW YORKBraulio TorresSAN JUAN, PUERTO RICODave WarrickINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANAJeanette WynnTALLAHASSEE, FLORIDAGary Tavormina, ChairRetiree CouncilWOODBOURNE,NEW YORK2 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013 PHOTO: JOHN FOCHT

ONLINE AT AFSCME.ORGTune in toAFSCME.TVAFSCME.tv is a new onlinenews channel covering AFSCMEmembers and our stories theright way. Our struggles, ourvictories, our union. Watch nowat AFSCME.tvShow UsYour WORKSLove your WORKS? Show us! Sendus a photo of yourself with WORKSin your workplace, at your unionhall, at a rally – you pick the spot– and you might be featured in anupcoming issue or on AFSCME.org. Submit your photo toAFSCME.org/works-at-work(Left) Toni Hoefler,social worker atNorfolk RegionalCenter, NebraskaAssociation ofPublic EmployeesLocal 61. (Right)Maria Alcaraz,home care provider,UDW HomecareProviders Union,Local 3930.Like us onfacebook.com/afscmeFollow us ontwitter.com/afscmeEmail us atworks@afscme.orgUpdate your infoat my.afscme.orgScan this code toaccess greatAFSCME resourcesright from yoursmartphone.OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICANFEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY ANDMUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIOSubscription to members only.Cover Photo: Media BakeryWORKSPRODUCED BY THE AFSCMECOMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENTDIRECTORChristopher PolicanoASSOCIATE DIRECTORBlaine RummelASSISTANT DIRECTOR,EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTIONCynthia McCabeWRITER/EDITORSJoye BarksdaleKate Childs GrahamGregory KingPablo RosClyde WeissEDITORIAL COORDINATORTiffanie BrightEDITORIAL & PRODUCTION ASSISTANTFelica Ross-ThompsonDESIGNGroff Creative, LLC, www.groffcreative.comAFSCME WORKS(ISSN 1072-9992) is publishedquarterly by the AmericanFederation of State, County andMunicipal Employees, AFL-CIO,1625 L St., N.W., Washington, DC20036-5687.202.429.1145 Telephone202.659.0446 TDD202.429.1120 FaxFacebook facebook.com/afscmeTwitter twitter.com/afscmeE-mail works@afscme.orgWebsite www.afscme.orgPeriodical postage paid atWashington, DC, and additionalmailing offices.POSTMASTER, SENDADDRESS CHANGES TO:AFSCME WORKS1625 L STREET, N.W.WASHINGTON, DC 20036-5687AFSCME ILLUSTRATION; LEFT: DONALD ZAVODNY; RIGHT: NELSY BORKAFSCME.org 3

FROM THE PRESIDENTIt Is Our Mission toRestore Balance“We must continueto focus onstrengtheningour union.”Our economy is dangerously imbalanced.The stock market is reaching new heightsand corporate profits are in great shape.But incomes have fallen far behind forworkers even as the economic recoveryis under way. For working families, therecovery is a myth: They’ve heard ofit, but nothing in their own experienceproves that it really is true.The AFL-CIO’s Executive Pay Watchrevealed that American CEOs of the largestcompanies made 354 times the averagerank-and-file worker in 2012. CEOsreceived on average $12.3 million in paylast year, while the average worker madeless than $35,000. That is the widest paygap in the entire world.A video shared on social media indicatesthe extent to which the middle classand poor are marginalized. While the richest1 percent of Americans has 40 percentof our nation’s wealth, the bottom 80percent has about 7 percent of the wealth.While the video shows many Americansare aware of wealth inequality, the realityis even worse than our perception.Multi-Pronged OnslaughtIn a 2012 survey of 1,000 adults byRasmussen Reports, only 14 percent ofthose polled expect their children to bebetter off than they were – an all-time low.These data show how the decline inunionization resulted in job losses, salaryand benefit erosion, and dwindling retirementsecurity for all Americans. If actionis not taken now to create more goodpayingjobs, raise the minimum wage,strengthen the right to organize and bolsterretirement security, our families willsuffer for many decades to come.Politicians have been coming after ourwages, benefits and rights in the workplacefor several years. We’ve experienceda multi-pronged onslaught of right-towork-for-lessand paycheck deceptionlaws, protracted contract fights, attemptsto privatize our work, and pension billsthat aim to end defined benefit plans.They have taken a toll on AFSCME membersand our entire nation.Role We Must PlayIn this environment, there is a role thatwe must play. We are the ones who cancome forward in every community, at cityand county council meetings, in legislativebodies, at rallies, in press conferencesand in social media to connect the dots.We must continue to focus on strengtheningour union by organizing new members,fighting anti-worker legislation andengaging in the political process to electleaders who stand with us. But at thesame time, we’ve got to look beyond ourunion – not only for support in our fights,but to build coalitions with other activistswho share our goals.We must also make it our mission tofight for genuine economic balance, becausethe future of our nation is at stake.This is not about redistributing wealth;it’s about ensuring that the people whohave helped to create wealth are able toshare in it. We must do our part so thatthe recovery that is now an urban mythfor many working families becomes a realityfor all of us.Lee SaundersPresident4 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013PHOTO: LUIS GOMEZ

FROM THE SECRETARY-TREASUREROrganizing Effort in VermontInspires Us AllFor more than a year, home care workersin Vermont have been mobilizing,lobbying and building a union (see p.12). Their hard work paid off recentlywhen the state finally passed legislationrecognizing their right to collectivebargaining.Carol Delage, a volunteer organizer forVermont Homecare United/AFSCME, saysthat she and other home care workersorganized for the same reason workersaround the country organize. “We deservequality working conditions, good salariesand benefits, dignity and respect for thevaluable work we do. With AFSCME, wewill get it.”Create ChangeThe collective strength of Vermontproviders will create change for themand their clients. It gives them a morepowerful voice as they work to protectfunding during these difficult times. Justas importantly, these new union memberswill add to the collective voice of AFSCMEin all our battles to make sure that themiddle class survives in the United States.Home-bound seniors and people livingwith disabilities need our help and supportto keep the funding that allows themto continue living independently at home.To fight for that funding, we need a strongvoice in our local communities and onCapitol Hill.That’s why Vermont’s home careworkers have been spending long hourscriss-crossing their state and contactingtheir colleagues. “We’re fighting forfunding for the people we work with andwe›re getting results,” says Janelle Blake,another volunteer organizer in Vermont.“Being with a union will give us theadded power we need when we are fightingfunding cuts in the Legislature.”AFSCME members from across thecountry understand the importance ofbuilding strong unions to represent thosewho provide public services. That’s whyvolunteer member organizers traveled tothe Green Mountain state during the currentcampaign. They came to pitch in andhelp build our union.Mary Jones was one of them. A homecare worker from Pennsylvania, she spenta week organizing in Vermont. “What’shappening to home care workers inVermont is similar to what we wentthrough,” she says.AFSCME represents approximately125,000 home care providers nationwide.More than 90 percent of home care workersare women. And even though manywork as much as 70 hours a week, the payis less than $10 an hour with no overtime.That’s just wrong. Thanks to thehard work of members who are helpingin Vermont, we are fighting to lift thoseworkers up.Passionate CommitmentHome care workers have a passionatecommitment to the people they serve. Asa home care provider in California, I sawhow effective we became when we joinedtogether to fight for dignity and respect onthe job. That’s why I am inspired by theorganizing done by home care providersin Vermont.Laura ReyesSecretary-Treasurer“The collectivestrength of Vermontproviders will createchange for themand their clients. Itgives them a morepowerful voice.”PHOTO: HEATHER SHELLYAFSCME.org 5

F.Y.I.NEWS YOU NEED, IN BRIEFU.S. MultinationalCorporations Don’t PayTheir Fair ShareOverseas tax havens are no secret. But how muchmoney are U.S. corporations stashing in them toavoid paying their fair share in taxes? In a report fromCitizens for Tax Justice, we learn companies reportedearning 43 percent of their $940 billion in overseasprofits in 2008 in just five tax-haven countries,including Bermuda. But those profits weren’t reallyearned there. Just 4 percent of their foreign workforcewere even actually located in those countries. NotesCitizens for Tax Justice:Who Are the Working Poor?It’s shameful. Approximately 10 million families – 47 million Americansin all, half of whom are children – currently live in poverty. That’saccording to a report by The Working Poor Project, using the mostrecent data compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau. Their findingsmean nearly a third of all working families are struggling – up from 28percent in 2007, at the start of the Great Recession. A family of fouris considered to be living below the poverty line if they make lessthan $22,811. The top 20 percent of families took home nearly half ofall income, while those in the bottom 20 percent received less than 5percent.“If the profits from thosecompanies were accuratelyreported and taxed in the UnitedStates, it could make a significantdent in the budget deficit.”VITAL STATS$7.25 /HOURThat’s the federal minimum wage, as set byCongress in 2009. It’s been at that level eversince. What does that get a person employed fulltime for a year? Just $15,080. That’s not enough tosupport a family of four. In fact, it’s well below thefederal poverty line for such a family. The minimumwage hasn’t kept up with inflation. If it had, it wouldbe more than $10 an hour today.State Taxes Bite Low-IncomeEarners the MostThat’s the conclusion of a recent study bythe Institute on Taxation and EconomicPolicy. Check out the numbers, which arecalculated by combining all state and localincome, property, sales and certain taxeson goods such as gasoline and tobaccothat state residents pay.According to the institute, the 10 stateswith the highest taxes on the poor areArizona, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois,Indiana, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,Texas, and Washington.If you’re poor,your tax rate =11%of IncomeIf you’re rich,your tax rate =6%of Income$15,080 /YEAR PHOTO: PLAINPICTURE/CULTURA6 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013

Pensions AreThreatenedThe Rich Get Richer, Not the Rest of Us$25.4 trillion. That’s the eye-popping wealth held by the top 7 percent ofAmerican families in 2011 – an increase of nearly $20 trillion from 2009. Whatof the remaining 93 percent of us? Our combined net worth was just under $15trillion, and we lost some ground, according to the Pew Research Center. Somuch for the economic recovery lifting all boats: only 8 million U.S. householdsgot richer wille 111 million Americanhouseholds got poorer.When it comes toretirement security,pensions are anendangered species.Just 10 percent of allprivate sector jobs offeredpension plans (known as“defined benefit plans”)in 2011, covering 18percent of private industryemployees, according toa report by the Bureau ofLabor Statistics (BLS). Thatcompares to 35 percent who were covered by pensionsin the early 1990s. This steady decline in private pensionsis the consequence of employers switching their workersinto to 401(k)-style accounts that place all the risk ofinvestments – and the burden of saving for retirement –on their employees. The story is better for public serviceworkers: 78 percent of all state and local governmentemployees had pension coverage in 2011.They SaidWhat?!“I need this bill passed so we can getrid of public sector unions.”Eric Stafford, a senior official with theKansas Chamber of Commerce, explainingwhy he supported a bill signed into law inApril that prohibits public service workersfrom making voluntary contributions totheir unions for political activity via theirpaychecks.Learn more about our fights against billslike this that hurt workers, on p. 26.Defined BenefitVersus DefinedContributionPlans – No ContestThose who have defined contribution plans such as 401(k)accounts and IRAs don’t have much invested in them – onlyenough for about $7,000 annually, reports The WashingtonPost. In contrast, the average AFSCME retiree’s pension – alsocalled a “defined benefit plan”– is approximately $19,000 peryear. And while defined benefit plans are under attack nationwide,they are a better deal as there’s no risk that your pensioncheck will diminish if the stock market does poorly.To read these reports and stats,visit AFSCME.org/fyiCLOCKWISE FROM TOP: DIRTYDOG_CREATIVE; MASTERFILE; KANSAS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WEBSITEAFSCME.org 7

ORGANIZINGFOR POWERFrom state to state, workers arejoining AFSCME for a strongervoice on the jobCALIFORNIATwo hospitals, two very different organizing campaigns – yet therecent success of each are linked to a commitment by UnitedNurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals(AFSCME-UNAC/UHCP) to develop leadership committees of workersdetermined to gain a voice on the job through a union.This February, approximately 800 medical professionals, employedby Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, gained a voice withUNAC/UHCP, the largest nurses’ union in Southern California, withmore than 20,000 members. They include occupational therapists,physical therapists, recreational therapists and nurse educators.Their successful organizing campaign concluded months ofdedicated work by volunteers who formed an organizing committeeto win strong majority support for the union. After a neutral arbitratorconfirmed a majority had signed union authorization cards, Kaiser –which remained neutral during the campaign – agreed to recognizethe new union.It was a much different story for some 300 registered nurses whowork at Southern California’s Corona Regional Medical Center. To wintheir campaign to join UNAC/UHCP, the nurses had to overcome a farmore difficult hurdle than their sisters and brothers at Kaiser.The hospital’s management “spent a fortune on anti-unionconsultants, instead of putting that money into patient care,” saidKen Deitz, president of UNAC/UHCP and also an International vicepresident. “At Corona, management pulled RNs away from patients towatch anti-union DVDs.”This lasted roughly five months. Corona nurses developed a strongleadership committee to resist through education and recruitment. Itpaid off.“Our continued faith in our collective strength as an organizingcommittee helped us deal with management’s anti-union tricks,” saidMarie Narisma, emergency room RN.Leadership committees were important in both Kaiser andCorona campaigns. Working with the union’s organizing staff andvolunteer member organizers, Corona’s leadership committee wasable to create a cohesive majority that resisted management’s unfairtactics. In January, the nurses won their campaign to join the union.As AFSCME WORKS went to press, the employer was objecting to theelection and delaying labor board certification by claiming falsely thatworkers were coerced into supporting the union.The lesson is clear. Regardless of the type of campaign – andobstacles faced – the chances of success are greater with a disciplinedleadership committee up front.Workers are also organizing with AFSCME in otherstates. Here is a list of just some recent victories,big and small:CONNECTICUTTwelve town hall employeesof the Town ofSalisbury joined Council 4.DELAWAREThirty-eight administrative,professional andmanagerial employees ofthe City of Dover joinedCouncil 81 after the statePublic Employees RelationsBoard ruled in favorof their right to seek unionrepresentation. The workers,who suffered the lossof wages and benefits overthe years, accused the cityof unfair treatment comparedto union-representedco-workers. Overruling theemployer, the labor agencyallowed them to vote,choosing AFSCME.ILLINOISTwenty-eight employeesof the Village of Nilesgained representation withCouncil 31. They organizedto gain the same benefitsas union-representedemployees.MARYLANDOne-thousand, fivehundredstate workersin the state Office of theComptroller, Departmentof Education, Retirementand Pension System, andTransportation Authoritywon a voice on the jobthrough an overwhelmingvote to join Council 3. TheMaryland General Assemblypassed a bill last springthat authorized collectivebargaining rights to workersin these four previouslyexcluded agencies – rightspreviously granted toother state public serviceworkers.MASSACHUSETTSBrookline EducationalSecretaries Association,with 45 members,voted to affiliate withCouncil 93 (becoming partof Local 1358).MINNESOTASeventy employees atWalker Care Suites,an assisted-living facilityin Edina, voted by a 2-1margin to join Council 5.Walker’s managementpledged to remain neutralin the organizing drive,but didn’t. Their tacticsincluded mandatory meetings,sending a barrage ofanti-union literature, andpleas to “give us anotherchance.”PENNSYLVANIATwenty-six white-collaremployees of the YorkCity Housing Authorityjoined Council 13.RHODE ISLANDSeventy employeesof First Student inTiverton joined Council 94through a representationelection.8 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013

WEARE AFSCMEA look at the men and women who make America happenAUGIE VENICEBUILDINGMAINTENANCEMECHANICPresident, Local 1012,Council 94 (Rhode Island)AFSCME PEOPLE DonorI am an electrician and for18 years, I’ve been doingthe electrical work for thecity. If we were to dealwith any issues as individuals,such as pay raisesand work conditions, wewould be laughed at.Local 1012 is the largestmunicipal workers’ unionin the state. In thesetough economic times,without the union it couldhave been much worse.Our members saw whatcould have happened ifthe union wasn’t there tofight for them.I give to PEOPLE becauseit gives us a say in theprocess, it gives us aunited front and it helpsus fight against thosewho are attacking us.It’s important that we dowhat’s right and help outas much as possible.MARGE RIGGINJAMES HICKSPUBLIC HEALTH SANITARIAN, Columbus Health Department,Local 2191 (Ohio Council 8)As a young public service worker – a Next Waver – why did youchoose to go into public service?In college, I started off as a pre-med student and ended up witha bachelor’s degree in public health. I knew that whatever I did Iwanted to help others. After school, I applied for three jobs in publichealth, and in 2004, accepted the position in Columbus as a publichealth sanitarian. I’m from North Carolina, which is a right-to-workstate. So, I was lucky to get a job where I could be in a union.How does your work serve your community?I inspect restaurants, hospitals and any institutions within the citylimits that have food service. By doing my job to the best of myability, I give people some type of security when they go out to eat.They know the restaurant has been inspected and they don’t have toworry about illness.Recently, I started investigating dangerous animals as well. I removedangerous animals off the street to prevent them from hurtinganyone in the future.What’s the most dangerous animal you’ve encountered?Dogs are actually the most dangerous. They bite a lot. But one timewe had an alligator in the city. That was pretty crazy.TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT SUPERVISOR, Department of OperationsKOSE Local 300 AFSCME/AFT/AFL-CIO (Kansas)How did you become a technology support supervisor?I spent lots of long days and sleepless nights reading and studyingabout computers. I basically taught myself, and I was hired as atechnology services supervisor. I did that job for 16 years, and lastyear I switched to be a technology support supervisor.What’s unique about the work you do?We keep the system running for all Department for Childrenand Families users. We fix hardware and software. We addnew users. We change passwords. We push out softwareupdates. If we weren’t there, the computer system wouldbreak down and no one would be able to fix it.Why is it a vital service to the community?My work supports the staff members that providevital services to our community. The workers of theDepartment for Children and Families help peoplefind jobs. They provide assistance like foodstamps. They provide social services. They dochild support enforcement. They are vital toour communities.PHOTO:CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: ERICK BROWN; JOE WEIDNER; GAIL WELDENAFSCME.org 9

OurContracts,Our VictoriesFrom Puerto Rico to Hawaii,we’re making gainsBY PABLO ROSCorrections officers in Puerto Rico thisspring achieved an historic victory when thecommonwealth agreed to restore more than$35 million in unpaid overtime wages tonearly 4,500 workers.The settlement was achieved by membersof Alianza Correccional Unida (ACU), ServidoresPúblicos Unidos (SPU), AFSCME Council 95, andwas the largest Fair Labor Standards Act settlementever in Puerto Rico.“We are very happy with this agreement,” saidJuan González, president of ACU Local 3500. “Wehave been fighting tooth and nail to make theDepartment of Corrections and Rehabilitation payup the overtime hours. We couldn’t have done itwithout AFSCME International, which helped usbring this issue to the U.S. Labor Department. Wedidn’t let up and kept applying pressure, and todaywe can say we have achieved our goal.”Public employees across the country this yearhave faced tough collective bargaining fights.But in places like Puerto Rico, New York, Illinois,Minnesota, Iowa and Hawaii, they have alsoachieved victories by bargaining with solidarity.How We Did ItIn March, after a long struggle, Iowa Council 61succeeded in protecting their members’ healthinsurance benefits in a tough fight with Gov. TerryBranstad, who had resolved to freeze wages,reduce health coverage and hike insurancepremiums.An arbitrator ruled that AFSCME’s offer ofstatus quo health insurance benefits was the mostreasonable offer. This will save employees coveredby those contracts approximately $45 million. Thearbitrator also preserved 4.5 percent step increasesfor employees who have not yet reached the top oftheir pay grade.“We were able to defend our members’ rights,we were able to defend our contract and wewere able to defend our members’ benefits,” saidDanny Homan, an International vice presidentand president of Council 61, which represents20,000 public employees in the negotiations. “Wewon on the issue of health insurance and that’sextremely important to our membership. It’s a bigvictory for us.”It wasn’t easy. Governor Branstad campaignedon a pledge to force state employees to pay 20percent of health insurance premiums, and he was10 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013

determined to get his way. This was only the thirdtime in state history that the state contract wasdecided by an arbitrator.There’s always an element of risk when athird party, however neutral, is called in to settlea contract dispute – especially if an arbitrator hasruled against the union in the past.Members of United Public Workers/AFSCMELocal 646 in Hawaii had to consider that as theircontract dispute dragged on. “The executivenegotiating committee for that unit understoodand realized the risk of third-party arbitration,” saidthe local’s director, Dayton Nakanelua. “But theybelieved in themselves, and in the team that weput together.”In the end, the 3,000 members of Local 646’sbargaining unit that includes institutional, healthand corrections employees of state and localgovernment won a 3.2-percent, across-the-boardwage increase and no change to employee healthinsurance contributions. They successfully fendedattempts by government to cut their pay by 13.3percent and increase the cost of their healthinsurance.Their sisters and brothers in another unitachieved a four-year contract with consecutive 2percent pay raises in October and April of eachyear. And members of the Hawaii GovernmentEmployees Association, AFSCME Local 152,successfully ratified a contract with 4 percent payincreases each contract year. After four years of paycuts, these wins are good news for workers in theAloha State.In Difficult Climate, WinsWorth CelebratingDespite a collective bargaining climate thatremains difficult for AFSCME members, severalvictories are worth noting:— In New York, Council 82 successfully bargainedto raise wages 9.5 percent over four years(2010-2013) in an agreement that closes the paygap between Albany police officers and thoseof nearby jurisdictions. Members approved thedeal by a 5:1 vote.— After more than 15 months of contentiousnegotiations with the administration of Gov. PatQuinn, members of Council 31 in Illinois votedoverwhelmingly to approve a contract thatincludes a 1.3 percent per year wage increase,in addition to step increases and an increase inlongevity pay for those eligible.— Members of Council 5, Locals 1842 and 2508 inSt. Paul, Minn., achieved a three-year contractwith a 1 percent increase in April 2013, a 0.5percent increase in October 2013, and a 2 percentincrease in both April 2 014 and April 2015.__ In the District of Columbia, members of DC20 negotiated a four-year contract with annualwage increases of 3 percent. The parties alsoagreed to identify the best means to enhanceemployee retirement benefits.Send comments to pros@afscme.org“We were ableto defend ourmembers’rights, we wereable to defendour contractand we wereable to defendour members’benefits.”— Danny Homan (left),president of Iowa Council61 and an Internationalvice presidentDayton Nakanelua, director, United Public Workers/AFSCME Local 646, HawaiiPHOTOS: LEFT: UNITED PUBLIC WORKERS LOCAL 646; RIGHT: COUNCIL 61AFSCME.org 11

WORKSThe Magazine of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIOORGANIZE!We’re strengthening our union,one member at a time. SEE PAGE 12BUILDING AUNION,FACE TO FACEHow do we grow and strengthen our union? One door at a time.BY CLYDE WEISSWILLISTON, Vt. — More than 7,000women and men throughout thestate provide home care for relativesand others with mental or physicaldisabilities, including the elderlywho need assistance to remainindependent. Without a union, theseworkers are powerless to lobby thestate – which pays their wages andsets the rules of their occupation – forbetter pay, benefits, and training.That’s why thousands of providershave already signed up with VermontHomecare United/AFSCME. For thefirst time, they are building a unionso they will have a voice in the stateLegislature, with the state agenciesthat govern their services, and beforethe public, whose taxes support homecare programs.Nationwide, we represent 125,000home care workers in the public andprivate sectors, and have ongoingcampaigns to represent thousands ofother home care providers in nearly adozen states. We are the leading voicefor home care – locally and nationally– for these critically important workers,whose jobs are becoming increasinglyessential as America’s agingpopulation swells.We are actively organizing thousandsof workers nationwide, includingemergency medical service workersin California and New England,state workers in Maryland, and cityworkers in Memphis. We’re expandinginto new areas, such as New Orleans,where we’re organizing cab drivers.Here in Vermont, the stateLegislature approved a bill givinghome care providers the right to collectivelybargain over wages and benefits.Although expected to sign, thegovernor had not acted as AFSCMEWORKS went to press. CheckAFSCME.org/blog for the latest. Onceaccomplished, their union will immediatelypetition the state labor boardto hold an election. When a majorityvotes to form their union, they willhave a formal seat at the decisionmakingtable through AFSCME.That’s why Vermont home careproviders Janelle Blake, Carol Delage,and Mary Montgomery are workingso hard to build support for theirAFSCME union. In addition to caringfor clients, these three volunteerorganizers are traveling throughouttheir regions of the state to meet otherproviders in their homes to explain thebenefits of joining Vermont HomecareUnited/AFSCME.This March, while snow and theinescapable mud still covered thelandscape, they – along with otherproviders who have volunteered onthis campaign – headed off in differentdirections to make house calls. Let’stravel and meet with these remarkableorganizers and a few of theproviders they set out to recruit.Upfront and PersonalJanelle Blake sits patiently with ahalf-dozen people at a public library onthis particular March evening to meetwith her state representative, TimothyJerman (D-Essex Junction). Broughttogether by Put People First, a progressivecoalition that includes the VermontAFL-CIO, they want to discuss a numberof issues with the lawmaker.12 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013

“We are supporting a homecare bill that that will givecaregivers the ability tocollectively bargain with thestate to improve the home caresystem for everyone.”Janelle Blake (left), a volunteer organizer withVermont Homecare United/AFSCME, discussesthe union with Roland Morman, a home careprovider who lives in Colchester, on the banksof Lake Champlain. Morman reviews literatureexplaining the benefits of unionization.Blake lights up when it’s her turnto speak. “I have been an independenthome care provider on and off forthe last 10 years,” she begins. “Weare supporting a home care bill thatwill give caregivers like me the abilityto collectively bargain with the stateto improve the home care system foreveryone. We ask for your supportuntil this bill is passed.”Blake explains that the bill (thenstill pending in the Legislature) “willallow us to unionize and achieve adecent wage, and some benefits. Thatway we can concentrate on the workwe do for others, improve care, and reducethe turnover” that plagues homecare in Vermont.Finally, Blake says providers likeher help people stay in their homesso they can keep their independence.Providers like her “save the state tonsof money,” she notes with pride. “Andwhat I’m hearing here is money talks.”Can she count on Jerman to supportthe bill “when it comes up for avote?” she asks politely.“I never say yes to somethingI haven’t read yet,” the lawmakerreplies. But he adds, “There’s no questionI’ll vote for it” if a House committeehe respects first approves thelegislation. This is good news to Blake.Earlier that day, Blake met withother home care providers to buildVermont Homecare United/AFSCME.While those she met had alreadysigned up, she’s keeping them abreastof the latest union news, and answerstheir questions.It’s clearly working. Just askAmanda Calder, a young home careprovider who signed up after receivinga postcard in the mail that led herto attend a providers’ meeting whereshe met Blake. “We hit it off,” Caldersaid as the two sit on a couch in herparent’s home. “We’re both passionateabout the cause.”“I want to organize partly because Iwant to get paid better. It’s not a livablewage,” Calder explained. “We needto organize because there are suchbig cuts in social programs happeningacross the country and in Vermont.”That’s also what motivates Blaketo make her house calls. A union oftheir own “should – and can – helpus have a voice in our work lives, andin the lives of our consumers,” sheexplains. “I think we can become aunited voice so we can collectivelybargain for better conditions.”So Blake meets other providersand signs them up. Through AFSCME,she said, “I’m going to be able to helpimprove the lives of my fellow caregivers,and the clients that we serve.”Making a DifferenceOn a wooden porch of a smallhouse in Berkshire, near the Canadianborder, home care provider CarolDelage talks to a fellow provider aboutjoining Vermont Homecare United/AFSCME. In spite of the freezing cold,however, the man doesn’t invite her in.Eyeing a giant dog pressing upagainst the front door, Delage is finewith that.Standing outside for a half hour or so,they discuss the union’s goals and theman’s concerns. “I think he cared abouthis scale of pay and time off, and the carePHOTO: CLYDE WEISSAFSCME.org 13

WORKSThe Magazine of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIOORGANIZE!We’re strengthening our union,one member at a time. SEE PAGE 12Members of VermontHomecare United/AFSCME rally atthe state Capitol,supporting passageof a bill that grantscollective bargainingrights to more than7,000 home careproviders statewide.his uncle was getting,” Delage said later.Delage began working in homecare 35 years ago. Now divorced, shefound the job’s low wages were notenough to raise two daughters. Soshe took on a second job, even thoughshe’d rather devote herself solely toher clients. That’s why she wants tobuild a union with AFSCME.Even with a union behind them,Delage expects the state’s legislatorswill resist their efforts to increasetheir pay scale. But she is optimistic.“If you have a union, and you haveenough people, maybe the state willlisten to us.”Delage knows a thing or two aboutunions. “I had started a union in oneof my jobs,” she said, referring toearlier, private-sector work helpingadults with disabilities. Those in management“were getting all the raises”while people like her who workeddirectly with the clients “were gettingnothing,” she said.One day, “one of the gals behindthe desk said, ‘Why don’t you guysstart a union?’ And I said that soundslike a good idea.”Soon they had their union electionand she was elected steward. Heractivism comes from a need to helpothers. “I’ve always looked out forwhat I called the underdogs, which wekinda’ are,” Delage explained. “We’renot looked upon as being paid a lot,yet we do just as much care” as otherhealth care professionals, only withoutvacation, health care or other benefits.“AFSCME can make a difference.”Delage insisted. “I think that thisunion could be strong, and I think it’sgoing to help out a lot of people whoreally need it – both client and homecare provider.”A United VoiceHeading up the hilly roads ofBarre, a picturesque city that bills itselfthe “Granite Center of the World,”Mary Montgomery prepares to greetfellow home care provider JenniferCorbett. She wants to talk to herabout building clout through VermontHomecare United/AFSCME.They sit down in Corbett’s livingroom, directly above a basement that’sbeen converted into a play area for heryoung son, who has developmentaldisabilities resulting from a strokeduring birth. Corbett not only providescare for him – compensated by thestate through a non-profit corporation– but also cares for other children withsimilar disabilities.Corbett, who has signed anAFSCME card, also employs sevenpersonal care assistants to help out.She’s both a provider of care servicesand an employer of those whoprovide services. So she knows thesystem from all angles. Yet, whenMontgomery first showed up at herdoor to talk about unionizing, Corbettwas skeptical.“There’s such a broad spectrum forhealth care workers that I didn’t reallyknow how it would work,” she says.“Some people work with older people,some work with younger people, someare home care providers, and somepeople do respite (providing shorttermcare when a primary provider,such as a parent, is not available).”14 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013PHOTO: DAVID KREISMAN

“AFSCME can make adifference. It’s going tohelp out a lot of peoplewho really need it – bothclient and home careprovider.”“They’ll say, ‘You’ve done such a good job,you’re getting less pay!’”Mary Montgomery (left), a volunteer organizer with VermontHomecare United/AFSCME, sits with fellow home care providerJennifer Corbett to discuss how their new union will help themgain a voice on the job through collective bargaining with the state.Carol Delage, avolunteer organizerfor VermontHomecare United/AFSCME, explainsher enthusiasmfor unions: “If youhave a union, andyou have enoughpeople, maybe thestate will listen tous.”Despite her doubts, Corbett realizedthat a union of seemingly otherwiseunconnected home care andrespite providers could offer them aplatform to speak with a united voiceto state agencies and the Legislature.Without a union, she knew, they’reon their own. “Right now,” she says,“There’s no structure, no training.There’s nothing.”Montgomery hopes to change allthat through AFSCME. She’s no wallflowerwith her agency (“They alreadyknow I’m the one that’s going to tapdance on the desk,” she says). But shewants the right to collectively bargainfor changes to improve their lives.That can happen only if they gainthe right to collective bargaining. So,while she waits for that to happen,Montgomery signs up other providers.“There’s a lot of things I would liketo see AFSCME do,” she says. “I thinkwe need medical insurance, because alot of people who do this are not able togo out, for whatever reason, and workfull time. Yet we have no insurance.”Montgomery is lucky that she has asecond source of financial support: herfiancé, Roger, who is a trucker. “Oneof the ways we get paid is ‘difficultyof care,’” she explains. In other words,if that person starts out abusive, thenbecomes less so under the provider’scare, “they’ll have a review and sayhe’s better now and we’re going tocut your pay because he’s not quite asdifficult. You’ve done such a good job,you’re getting less pay!”“When we organize, we could helppersuade those in authority to makeBecome a VMOsuch rules fair. We also could helpimprove our wages, now averagingabout $10 an hour for a set number ofhours per day. A strong union couldwork to gain providers essential healthcare insurance. It could even lobby fortraining so providers and respite workersd on’t “burn out,” she says.“I really want to see this (collectivebargaining bill) go through,” Montgomerysighs. “My God, I really do.”Send comments tocweiss@afscme.orgHere’s the thing about being an AFSCME member: Once you see thesolidarity and security that comes with being a member, you willwant to help others join too. That’s what being a volunteer memberorganizer – or VMO – is all about.Our VMO program is cutting-edge. We provide first-class trainingto members so that you can successfully reach out to your coworkersand communities. We give you on-the-ground experiencewith expert organizers. Then, you help grow our union and ourmovement.To sign up to become a VMO, visit AFSCME.org/organize.PHOTO: PHOTOS: CLYDE WEISSAFSCME.org 15

Looking Beyond Labels,Giving to PEOPLEConservatives support AFSCME’spolitical action committee.BY CLYDE WEISSWhy would a conservative AFSCMEmember contribute to the union’spolitical action committee (PAC) ifhe opposes Pres. Barack Obama andsome of his signature legislationbacked by the union?Dan Petruso, chairman of theConservative Caucus of WashingtonFederation of State Employees/AFSCME Council 28, explains thecauses we support through our PAC,known as PEOPLE, have less to dowith party labels than withparticular issues affectingworkers.As a result, he said,PEOPLE contributions have“opened the doorway tolegislators – Republicansprimarily – who ordinarilywouldn’t even talk to us.So it’s changed the wholepolitical landscape, not only onCapitol Hill and the Legislature,but within our union. TheConservative Caucus inWashington has changed thetenor of the thinking of thewhole Council.”So much so, in fact, thatCouncil 28’s ConservativeCaucus has a nearly 100-percentparticipation rate in PEOPLE (PublicEmployees Organized to PromoteLegislative Equality). That’s whyPetruso, an enforcement officer for thestate of Washington’s Division of ChildSupport, is a PEOPLE MVP. That meanshe contributes at least $100 per year tothe union’s political action committee.Petruso, also vice president ofSpokane Local 1221 and co-chair ofhis union’s Legislative and PoliticalAction Committee, adds thatconservatives contribute to AFSCMEPEOPLE because through it, they canvoluntarily financ ially support theunion’s political activities.Conservatism is a family traditionfor Republican Sheralynn Kern,vice president of Local 4041. Kern, alicensing technician for the NevadaDepartment of Motor Vehicles inCarson City, is also a PEOPLE MVP.Dan Petruso, Washington Federation of StateEmployees, Council 28She explains: “One group of myfamily came from mining, the othercame from agriculture. That’s a prettyconservative group of people.”As Northern Nevada co-chairof her union’s Law and LegislativeCommittee, Kern understands theimportance that money plays inpolitics. As a conservative, she alsoknows that her PEOPLE contributionscan sway politicians to supportcauses that she supports.“When things were going wrongin Wisconsin and other states –including Nevada – the PEOPLEprogram put up funding to help usto make the difference,” Kern said.Those who run the program from thenational union “don’t just go off ontheir own,” she added. “They stay incontact with Nevada. They asked uswhether we agreed with them or not,and I think that’s great.”Sheralynn Kern, vice president of NevadaLocal 4041Kern may not support all the candidatesthat PEOPLE supports, but shesays it’s important to contribute. “It’s anecessary program,” she said. “In thelong run, it benefits every one of us.”Send comments tocweiss@afscme.orgLearn more about PEOPLE atAFSCME.org/people.PHOTO: LEFT: COUNCIL 28; RIGHT: COURTESY OF FAMILYAFSCME.org 17

ImmigrationReform:We All BenefitIt would boost our economy. It would provide moremoney for public services. It would raise wages for all workers.Our sisters and brothers on the frontlines say the time for reform is now.BY KATE CHILDS GRAHAM18 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013 PHOTO: CYNTHIA MCCABE

Engraved on a plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty are the wordsof poet Emma Lazarus: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled massesyearning to breathe free.”For more than a century, these wordsand this statue were the welcome maton the doorway to America. But today,nearly 11 million working immigrantsare forced to live in the shadows inAmerica. Many remain tired, poor, cutoff from the economic and politicalfreedom they came here seeking.During his second inauguraladdress, Pres. Barack Obama signaleda change, saying explicitly that nowwas the time to achieve comprehensiveimmigration reform. “Our journey isnot complete until we find a betterway to welcome the striving, hopefulimmigrants who still see America as aland of opportunity.”We are striving to find a better way.The stakes for economic and socialjustice and our organizing strength aretoo high not to. A path to citizenshipwould raise wages for immigrants,which would, in turn, elevate the wage floor for all workers.It would generate much-needed revenue to support publicservices. It would allow us to organize into our ranks fellowworkers, dramatically strengthening our union’s politicaland bargaining power. A path to citizenship would put uson the right side of history and strengthen our legacy offighting for respect and dignity for all workers.A Broken System Means Broken Public ServicesRebecca Zaremba is a case management assistantfor Hennepin County in Minnesota. A member of Local34 (Council 5), she helps people in her community accesspublic assistance, and almost every person who comesthrough her door is an undocumented worker.More often than not, she sees whole families who needfood, clothing and shelter, but only the children are citizens.She can only get the kids access to resources, not theparents. “That means a family of five could be trying to feedthemselves for just $30 or $40 a month.”Zaremba tries to help these families as much as she can,scouring the Twin Cities for jobs that pay in cash and findingcommunity partners who will lend a hand, even if the statecan’t. But, still, it isn’t enough.A few weeks ago, a young woman came into Zaremba’soffice. “She was 30, maybe 35. I asked her how many kidsshe has.” The woman started to cry. She told ZarembaSec.-Treas. Laura Reyes addresses aAnaheim, Calif., crowd on the need forcomprehensive immigration reform.that she had a 2-year-old at home,but her abusive husband took her4-year old – a U.S. citizen – with himback to Mexico. “She was afraid togo to the police because she wasundocumented,” Zaremba said.And when he threatened to take thekids, she was afraid to go to court todispute custody.Zaremba has been workingtirelessly with the Family JusticeCenter and domestic abuseorganizations like Casa Esperanza tobring this woman’s child back to hishome country.Zaremba is one of thousandsof AFSCME members who serveimmigrant communities.These members know that ourimmigration system is broken. Theysee it when they can only offer foodassistance to one or two children,when the stomachs of four or five more family members gohungry. They see it when children who have been educatedin the United States all their life can’t get into college. Theysee it when families lose their homes to pay medical bills.They see it when sons and daughters are separated fromtheir parents, deported to countries they themselves onlyknew as children.These AFSCME members know our immigration systemis broken, and they want to help fix it.When Immigrants Are Paid Fairly, We All WinIn 1989, nearly a third of Jamaican citizens were living indesperate poverty. Hupert Rose found himself down on hisluck, and traveled to the United States as a visitor.“The United States is a country that gives you theopportunity to make a living if you work hard,” he said.Rose overstayed his visa, and was living in the UnitedStates without proper documentation, taking jobs hereand there until he got married and became a citizen. Rosehad a friend who was a librarian, and she told him abouta job opening in the City of North Miami Beach. It was alaboratory technician job. Only part-time, paying aboutfive dollars an hour.Rose took the job eagerly. And he has worked forthe city ever since, now as a water plant operator. Heis also an active member of Local 3293 (Florida CouncilPHOTO: CHRISTINE COTTERAFSCME.org 19

IMMIGRATION REFORM79), most recently working to fend the effort to privatizehis city’s sanitation services. In addition to his job withthe city, Rose delivered newspapers to make ends meet,waking up at 2:30 a.m. each day.To Rose, it’s clear why so many people have come to theUnited States. “They saw an opportunity where they canmake a life for themselves and for their family back home.”But the inequities that immigrants face are equally clear.“There needs to be a path to citizenship. The people whocame here, they have been working. They pay taxes, andcan’t claim any benefits. They have been hiding. Some havebeen suffering.”A path to citizenship would alleviate this. Right now,there is an underground economy in which employerspay immigrants workers next-to-nothing and have themwork in dangerous conditions, and avoid paying taxes.This lowers standards and wages for all workers. A pathto citizenship would boost all local economies. Immigrantworkers, like Rose, contribute to our culture and oursociety. “I’ve been working ever since I came to America. Iwork hard,” Rose said.Once immigrant workers are paid fairly, they will havemore to spend on dinner at a local restaurant or be ableto catch a movie at a local theater. And employers will beforced to pay their fair share of taxes, generating muchneededrevenue that funds public services.AFSCME Members Support a Path to CitizenshipEdmundo “Mundo” Cavazos was born in the City ofLaredo, Texas, on the border of Mexico and the UnitedStates. His family’s land, passed down generation togeneration, was once Mexican and is now American. Oras Cavazos puts it, “I didn’t cross the border. The bordercrossed me.”Now Cavazos lives in Tacoma, Wash., nearer to theCanadian border than the Mexican. There, he is a medicalinterpreter and a member of Interpreters United, WFSE/AFSCME Local 1671 (Council 28). Most of the people heserves are undocumented immigrants.Cavazos helps patients and families understand medicalissues and navigate the complex medical system. And, indoing all that, Cavazos helps keep his community healthyand curb the spread of disease.Though Cavazos’ main task is medical interpretation,other issues often come up. Around immigration. Aroundrights. Around responsibilities.“These people have the courage to come here againstall odds,” Cavazos says. “They’re looking for the dream andworking at it. That’s what makes them so admirable. That’swhy I’m glad to give my time and be of service to them.That’s why I want them to have equal rights.”AFSCME members have been highlighting theimportance of comprehensive immigration reform fordecades. According to recent polling, 76 percent of AFSCMEmembers believe our current immigration system is broken.Nearly 80 percent support a path to citizenship. Thesenumbers show that, overwhelmingly, AFSCME membershave resolved that time for immigration reform is now.“I’m not saying this isn’t an issue that comes with sometough conversations, some controversy,” said Pres. LeeSaunders. “But the numbers are clear: A vast majority ofour members understand why AFSCME must be involvedin this fight. We’ve got to be on the frontlines, making sureour members’ priorities in reform are heard.”When We Fight, We WinJoAnne Xavier came to the United States when she was“five, or maybe six.” Her parents moved her and her ninesiblings from Cape Verde, an island off the coast of WestAfrica. When her mother and father earned their citizenship,Xavier and her siblings became citizens, too. They went toelementary school and middle school and high school. Andwhen they graduated, they went to work.Today, Xavier works as a development service worker atWrentham Developmental Center in Massachusetts. She isalso president of Local 646 (Council 93).Xavier has focused her activism on making sure theright people are elected to office, beginning with PresidentObama. In both 2008 and 2012, Xavier was instrumentalin her local’s get-out-the-vote efforts. “We did everythingwe could to get people registered to vote.” She told peopleabout President Obama’s health care reform and his stanceon immigration.On January 29, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nev., the Presidentproved Xavier right. He said, “I’m here today becausethe time has come for common-sense, comprehensiveimmigration reform. The time is now.”AFSCME members immediately got to work. Duringthe 2013 legislative conference, we lobbied more than50 members of Congress. We co-sponsored ralliesacross the country. Our leaders are speaking out, andthe International Executive Board released a powerfulstatement, saying, “AFSCME will do everything in itspower...to help achieve a full path to citizenship for allimmigrant workers.”It is the stories of Zaremba and Cavazos, who serveimmigrants, that compel AFSCME members to believein immigrant justice. It is the resolve of Rose and Xavier,who came here and served their communities, that drivesus to fight for comprehensive immigration reform. Andit is the freedom – the promise of our country – whichinspires us to win.Send comments to kchildsgraham@afscme.org20 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013

RESOURCESAFSCME membership has many advantages. Check outsome of the great resources available throughout the year.Union Plus, a programestablished by the AFL-CIO,provides consumer benefitsto members and retireesof participating laborunions, including AFSCME.Head to unionplus.orgto learn more about 15percent discounts on cellphones, breaks on pet food,medication and supplies,moving supplies, mortgageand other loan discounts.Look for the Union Label atYour Summer CookoutThere’s no need to abandon yourprinciples when you’re firing upthe grill this summer. Our friendsat Labor 411 provide a handyresource throughout the year:holiday-specific lists of unionmadegoodies. Since July 4 isright around the corner, they shared their union-made picnicand party list with us.• Butterball burgers and franks, Johnsonville brats andsausage, Foster Farms fresh chicken, Oscar Mayer orBoars Head hot dogs• Heinz Ketchup• Bugles, Chex Mix, Doritos• Pepsi, Welch’s, Mountain Dew, Pabst beer, Shock Top beer• Good Humor ice creamCheck out their complete list of union-made products –from electronics to diapers – at labor411.org.Learn Online, for FreeAFSCME’s Online LeadershipAcademy features both liveand self-paced classes forleaders, activists, membersand staff that are interactive,fun and educational. TheWebinars are live, scheduledone-hour classes conductedin real-time, cover timely andhot topics including: pensionsand state battles; and coretopics including: organizingand representing workers.Each self-paced OnDemandClass is flexible, can be takenat any time, seven days a weekand will take just 20 minutesto complete. Learn more atAFSCME.org/academy.moneyWe could all use someextraAFSCME ADVANTAGE CAN HELPThe Advantage Mortgage Program helpsmembers save money on closing costswhen purchasing or refinancing a home.Advantage also offers credit cards andno-cost accidental death insurance.Go to AFSCME.org/membersor call (800) 588-0374 today.NeedNewGear?Head to the AFSCMEWeb Store100+ AFSCMEitems available at:AFSCME.org/storeor place your ordertoll-free by calling:(800) 408-2388.Web Store315-12182-13PHOTO: PETER BAXTERAFSCME.org 21

FamilyTiesWhen Unionism Is in the BloodBY KATE CHILDS GRAHAMAFSCME is built of union sisters and brothers. And in thatsense, AFSCME is a family. But for some members, that familyconnection is literal. Their union steward might just besitting across from them at the dinner table.The potential impact of senior labor veteranson young family members is significant at a time whenmore than three times as many people ages 55 to 64 areunion members as are younger workers ages 16 to 24. Forthose in the latter group who are union members, those tieswere often passed down from parents and grandparents, orother family ties.We talked with three members, whose labor activismbegins right at home, about the family influence thatwelcomed them into the labor movement, and why that’s atie that binds.Like Grandfather, Like Father, Like SonMichael McDonald is a groundskeeper at the University of Rhode Islandand the president of Local 528 (Council 94). His local’s vice president?Also, Michael McDonald. Senior.Michael’s dad became an AFSCME member in the late 1970s,following in the footsteps of his father – also named Michael – whoworked as the captain of the police department at the university in the1970s and 80s.The youngest Michael spent his summers at the university and hisweekends at union rallies or meetings with his father and grandfather. “Igrew up in a union house, with all the activism,” he said, “I didn’t knowanything different.”Michael’s father has been the local’s vice president for nearly 30 years.When the young man decided to run for president of his local and won, hisdad was filled with pride.Michael is also a Next Waver – AFSCME’s group of young members –and stepping into a leadership role meant building upon what his fatherhad done and lifting up the voice of a new generation. “I can’t stress howimportant it is for young members to take the mantle,” he said. “We needyoung people to step up and take that leadership role.”Solidarity at home and inthe workplace: (clockwisefrom top): generations ofthe Kalua family; Ohio’sMorneweck family; twoMichael McDonaldswith Council 94 Pres.J. Michael Downey22 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013PHOTO TOP: KALUA FAMILY; BOTTOM: RHODE ISLAND LOCAL 528

A Family AffairSheralyn Kalua is a custodian at Waiakea High School. She’s a UnitedPublic Workers/Local 646 member. So was her mother Sherry, her uncleWilliam and her aunt Miriam. Her dad, Herring, is an Hawaii GovernmentEmployees/AFSCME Local 152 member, as is her brother, Herring, Jr.Her grandfather and uncle, both Samuel, were both in HGEA and UPW atdifferent points in their careers.The surname Kalua is synonymous with AFSCME in Hawaii.As a young child, Sheralyn remembers knocking on doors andattending rallies with her father and grandfather. He father instilled inher and her siblings the benefits of being a union member.“He always told us to be involved,” in the union, for the strengthand solidarity it provided, Sheralyn said. “If you look at other (nonunion)people, he would say, ‘They don’t have the benefits or the jobsecurity that we have.’”When Sheralyn had the opportunity to visit AFSCME’s Washington,DC, office this winter, her father told her, “You don’t realize what the uniondoes for you until you go behind the scenes and see what your union does.”During her visit, she had the opportunity to see the inner workingsof the union, from organizing and research to political actionand legislation. That trip transformed her inheritedactivism into activism of her own.Now, Sheralyn is passing on her family’s AFSCMEtradition and her own passion for the union to herfour children, all under the age of 10.“We go house to house organizing workers,talking to voters,” Sheralyn said, “I get them involvedjust like my father did for me and my grandfather didfor him.”Labor of LoveCouples today meet at a party, a bar or online. That wasn’tthe case for Tom and Diana Morneweck. In 1988, Tom and Diana,who both work for Summit County in Akron, Ohio, met workingon AFSCME political action campaigns.Their love for AFSCME and for each other has carriedthem through more than 20 years of marriage. Tom is nowpresident of Local 1229 and Diana, a union representative.Their family motto? “We are union through and through,” Tom said.Their union activism hasn’t gone unnoticed by their children andgrandchildren, who have often asked, “Do you ever talk about anythingbesides the union?”They’ve even been trying to organize their youngest daughter’semployer, the Juvenile Court in Summit County.Whether organizing drives or political rallies, Tom and Diane are theretogether. During the fight against Senate Bill 5, they canvassed together.“We went door to door,” Tom explained, “She took one side of the street,and I took the other.”Send comments to kchildsgraham@afscme.orgHAVE YOU R OWN AFSCME FAMILY STORY?Email family@afscme.org with your story and a photo and youcould be featured on AFSCME’s blog.PHOTO: MORNEWECK FAMILYAFSCME.org 23

PRIVATIZATIONHorror Stories Haunt PrivBY PABLO ROSThis year, after much behind-the-scenes deliberation, Harris County, Texas, officials decidedagainst privatizing the Harris County Jail, despite what an internal memo described as a “verycompelling proposal” by Corrections Corporation of America (CCA).CCA, the largest for-profit corrections operator in the nation, runs more than 65 facilitiesin 19 states, including Texas. In 2012, it sent a letter to 48 states offering to buy their prisonsin exchange for a 20-year management contract and the assurance that they would be kept 90percent full. Had the county opted to privatize, as a commissioner there suggested in 2010, itwould have made CCA shareholders very happy: With the capacity to house 10,000 inmates,the Harris County Jail is the largest in the state of Texas.“That would be scary if the Harris County Jail went private,” said Lance Lowry, presidentof Texas Correctional Employees/AFSCME Local 3807 in Huntsville. “CCA could not handlethat beast. That’s a tough jail.”It could have become another one of the horror stories reported across the country recently.From Texas (where a woman gave birth in the toilet of a jail) to Ohio (where inmates havebeen forced to defecate in plastic bags), the troubling incidents make one thing clear: Intheir drive to maximize profits, CCA and other private operators have continued to show ashameless disregard for the public safety of corrections officers and residents in neighboringcommunities, and the basic human rights of inmates.‘An Abusive and Neglectful System’Autumn Miller was feeling intense pressure and pain in her abdomen. An inmate ofthe CCA-run Dawson State Jail in downtown Dallas, she had requested a pregnancytest three weeks before, but never received it, according to her mother.Unable to walk, Miller was brought down to the medical unit on a stretcher. Butbecause there was no medically trained staff at Dawson between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m.,employees there could only guess what the matter was. When the pressure in herabdomen became too great, Miller sat down in a bathroom stall and delivered herdaughter Gracie prematurely at just 26 weeks. Gracie lived four days.Lowry has been vocally advocating for the closure of the Dawson State Jail.“It’s a recipe for disaster,” he said, adding that there have been three otherpreventable deaths at the facility. “There’s no experienced correctional staff,the pay is low – just above minimum wage – and there is a lack of securitystaff. Security audits show the facility has failed miserably. The fact is,CCA has been cutting corners in all their facilities, and the end result isan abusive and neglectful system that is not creating an environmentfor rehabilitation.”24 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS

ate Corrections Facilities(Clockwise from top) Chris Mabe,International vice president andpresident of OCSEA; Lance Lowry,president of Local 3807; inmates at theHarris County Jail; Dawson State Jail;Lake Erie Correctional InstitutionDawson is hardly an exception. In the single year since Ohio Gov. John Kasich’sadministration sold the Lake Erie Correctional Institution to CCA, reports have surfaced ofinadequate staffing, delays in medical treatment, and “unacceptable living conditions” amonginmates, including “evidence of urine in plastic containers inside the recreation area andinmates using plastic bags for defecation.”A major rise in crime has burdened the nearby town of Conneaut, Ohio, where police havebeen busy responding to nearly four times as many calls related to the prison as in the previousfive years combined.“That the Lake Erie Correctional Institution failed their safety audit should be a surpriseto no one,” said Chris Mabe, an International vice president and president of the Ohio CivilServices Employee Association (OCSEA)/AFSCME Local 11. “We know where the corners getcut when prisons are privatized. But the more we learn about the horror stories coming out ofthe first prison ever to be sold, the more we fear for the safety of not only the staff and inmates,but the whole community.”Many Reasons for Shutting Down Private FacilitiesThere are other, equally compelling reasons for keeping corrections operations in publichands. In Harris County, Texas, for example, the jail’s inmate populationhas been on the decline since 2008, a fact that has contributed tosignificant savings in t he sheriff’s budget.According to a confidential memo that surfaced there earlier this year,local officials were wary of promised savings by CCA. And perhaps mostimportantly, there were shared concerns about oversight, including fearsthat “outsourcing such a vital function to a third party” would create“uncertain effects” on the treatment of inmates, security at the facility,and re-entry programs.In New Hampshire, state officials recently canceled the biddingprocess to privatize state prisons because they remained unconvincedthat the vendors would meet all legal requirements to administer thefacilities and provide adequate inmate services. A bill approved by theStatehouse and currently before the Senate would make it illegal toprivatize state prisons.Lowry – in his efforts to shut down not justDawson, but the Mineral Wells Pre-Parole TransferFacility and the Lindsey State Jail, all run by CCA– has emphasized the absence of financial sense inkeeping them open. His strategy focuses just as muchon receding inmate populations that can be housed instate-run facilities and wasteful spending.And it’s working.“Our goal is to close Dawson by September 1,when its contract expires,” Lowry said. “We’re activelyseeking the support of the Legislature, because itdoesn’t make sense how our money is being spent.The business community agrees. The Dawson jailsits on prime real estate in downtown Dallas, and it’sinterfering with economic development.”Send comments to pros@afscme.orgPHOTOS CLOCKWISE: OHIO CIVIL SERVICES EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION; TEXAS LOCAL 3807; ASSOCIATED PRESS; AD READY STUDIOAFSCME.org 25

AFSCMEACROSS AMERICAWe’re FightingPaycheck Deception,Right-to-Work-for-Lessand PrivatizationBY PABLO ROSPaycheck deception, right-to-work-for-less, andprivatization schemes are but a few of the dirtytactics employed by corporate-backed politiciansand right-wing extremists, to weaken unions andraise funds at the expense of public employees.In all parts of the country, AFSCME is involved inthe struggle to fight such efforts and protect thelivelihood of our members. The following statesare part of our battleground.ALASKANationalgroups thatpromotepassageof right-towork-for-lesslaws havetargeted Alaska, thoughthe Legislature adjournedwithout introducing such abill. We’ll continue to keep aneye on this state.In the City of Anchorage,the Assembly approvedOrdinance 37, an anti-workermeasure that takes awaycity employees’ contractrights - including the right tostrike and arbitration - andrewrites the city’s collectivebargaining policies. It is aregressive step towardsundermining collectivebargaining rights statewide.An effort to repealit is already underway,with unions calling for areferendum on the law.They’ve submitted a petitionto the city and have vowedto continue their efforts untilthey succeed.ARIZONATheRepublicancontrolledLegislature inthis westernstate has made it its missionto pass a paycheck deceptionlaw that would make itharder for unions to collectmember dues and use themfor political purposes. Butthose who oppose themhave a three-vote bipartisanmajority against the bill, andplan to hold on to that lead.Already a right-to-workfor-lessstate, some in Arizonahave tried this scheme in thepast but failed, and we’reconfident they will fail again.But we’re not taking anythingfor granted in this right-wingparadise, which is why we’realso closely monitoringmeasures that would makeit a criminal offense to helpothers by returning theirearly-vote ballot.FLORIDARight-winglawmakersin Floridaare trying tounderminethe state’s $136 billionpension plan, used bymore than 600,000 publicemployees. Two bills arein contention: the Houseproposal, which would closethe plan to new employeesand offer them instead a401(k)-styled investmentplan; and the Senate version,which would leave thetraditional plan instead andoffer employees incentives touse the new, 401(k) version.Ironically, the state’s currentpension plan is among thehealthiest and best funded inthe nation, and does not callfor the kind of drastic actiondemanded by lawmakers.KANSASThe rightwinggovernor ofthis southernstate hassigned legislation prohibitingpublic employee unions fromdeducting from members’paychecks to help financepolitical activities.This already being aright-to-work-for-less state,workers do not automaticallypay union dues but mustagree beforehand to anypaycheck deductions. Thenew law is merely an attemptto further undermine laborrights and the power of laborunions.MISSOURIPaycheckdeceptionis gainingground nextdoor as well,with the Missouri Househaving approved a bill thatwould require employersand unions to obtain writtenconsent each year from theiremployees and members forany political contributionsthey make through payrolldeduction. Right-to-workfor-lesslegislation is alsoon the minds of right-winglawmakers here, and haspassed out of committee.To the advantage of publicemployees, it’s a goodthing that Gov. Jay Nixon,a Democrat, vowed to vetothe paycheck deception billshould it reach his desk.26 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013

PENNSYLVANIAAnotherstate onthe listof thosetargetedby right-to-work-forlessgroups, the stateis headed by Gov.Tom Corbett, who isaggressive in trying toprivatize public services.Though no right-towork-for-lessbill has yetbeen introduced, Corbettmoved forward in hisbid to privatize publicservices.On one front, heinsists on privatizingmanagement of the statelottery despite strongopposition, includingfrom state AttorneyGeneral, Kathleen Kane.Council 13 has beensuccessful so far inhelping to defeat thegovernor’s attemptsto sell managementof the lottery to aBritish company andwill continue to raiseconcerns of constitutionallegality. Also, a bill thatwould phase out thestate’s 600 state-operatedliquor stores has passedthe Statehouse, and isunder considerationby the Senate. It wouldput thousands of stateemployees out of work,increase costs andgenerate less revenuethan predicted.HUMBOLDT COUNTYCALIFORNIAVictory for HomeCare WorkersThe lowest paid home care workers inCalifornia live in Humboldt County. The 1,400members of California United HomecareWorkers (CUHW) Local 4034, have neverreceived a wage increase above the stateminimum wage. So, two years ago, afterwinning a hard-fought recognition campaign,Humboldt home care workers looked forwardto bargaining a contract that would givethem a fair shake.Since February 2011 when they votedfor union representation, these home careworkers put every effort into bargaining theirfirst contract. They held weekly testimonialsat Board of Supervisor meetings. They rallied.They executed strategic media campaigns.They garnered support from elected officials,community partners and faith leaders. Theyattempted mediation again and again.This spring, these workers finallysaw victory. After the county’s Board ofSupervisors approved an agreement – whichPENNSYLVANIAIn Memoriam:RITA URWITZPHILADELPHIA — Rita Urwitz, who served asvice president of District Council 47 and Local2186, passed away in January. She was 69.Urwitz had been active in the union since shebegan working as a social worker for the City ofPhiladelphia in 1980. She was a strong advocatefor children, labor, and social justice issues.Her boundless energy was seen in hermany accomplishments whether it wasoverseeing the DC 47 Political Action Committee;engaging in an ACLU lawsuit against theCity of Philadelphia (which changed the wayabuse and neglect cases are handled in thecity); leading a groundbreaking wellness anddisease management program for DC 47; orincluded a historic wage increase for countyhome care workers – the county homecare workers themselves ratified the dealoverwhelmingly in May. The wage increasealso requires final approval from the stateand county before it can take effect.Margaret Lewis, a home care workerfrom Garberville, Calif., and member ofCUHW, said, “I’m glad we’re finally able tomove forward. The real winners today arethe people we care for. Better pay for countycaregivers means better care for our seniorsand disabled.”CUHW statewide Pres. Gail Ennis calledthe agreement a “great victory for home careworkers who have lived in poverty for over adecade.”Home care workers and supporters rallied in frontof Humboldt County Courthouse in February,before achieving their contract victory.working on a domestic partnership ordinancethat passed in the city.BONNIE F. MARPOESHIPPENSBURG — Bonnie F. Marpoe, thefirst woman to be elected president of Council13’s executive board, died in March at age 70.Marpoe was also co-chair of the AFSCME-United Nurses of America Advisory Committeefrom 1994, when the committee was founded,until she retired in 2008.“Bonnie was a tough leader who pavedthe way for Council 13 women,” said DaveFillman, the council’s executive director andan International vice president. “It was anhonor to have her committed leadership overall those years.”Marpoe, a licensed practical nursesupervisor until her retirement, was an activeAFSCME member for more than 30 years. Sheserved as president of Local 2245.PHOTO: CALIFORNIA UNITED HOMECARE WORKERS LOCAL 4034AFSCME.org 27

AFSCMEACROSS AMERICASAN JUAN PUERTO RICONew Retiree ChapterNearly 500 retirees came together for the founding assemblyof AFSCME United Public Workers of Puerto Rico, RetireeChapter 95. With attacks in recent years to retirees in PuertoRico and across the United States, the formation of this retireechapter could not have been more timely.Pres. Lee Saunders attended the event, noting that itrepresented “the start of something big.” He praised retireesfor building their chapter into “a powerful force whosepresence will be felt throughout Puerto Rico.”Annette Gonzalez Perez, president of AFSCME Council 95,praised the tenaciousness of assembly delegates in organizingthe retiree chapter. Already, Chapter 95 has more than 2,200members, with more joining every day.Assembly delegates adopted a constitution and electedtheir first slate of officers: Blanca Paniagua as president; EvaCanabal, vice president; Adelina Lopez, secretary; and ObduliaLopez, treasurer. They elected Joselito Cortes Quinonez,Minerva Gonzalez, Miriam Quinones and Roberto HernandezMembers of the newly formed United Public Workers of PuertoRico, Retiree Chapter 95, voted to elect their representatives.to the executive board, and Irma Iris Linero Rivera, Rosa N.Rios Lugo and Norma Paniagua as trustees.Retirees passed two resolutions. In the first, they vowedto use their collective power to protect the pensions theyearned after decades of hard work and service to the people ofPuerto Rico. And in the second, delegates vowed to join withother like-minded groups to fight cuts to Social Security andMedicare.NEW YORK CITYNEW YORKOne-ManMarch for ChildCare GainsSupportRaglan George, Jr., DC 1707’sexecutive director and also anInternational vice president,sandwiches himself betweentwo picket signs every Mondayafternoon. They bear slogans like“New York City working families needchild care.” Then he makes his way backand forth in front of New York City Hall.He calls it his One-Man March for ChildCare, and he’s been doing it ever sinceMayor Michael Bloomberg implementedInternational Vice Pres. and DC 1707 Exec. Dir. RaglanGeorge, Jr., (center) vows to protest Mayor MichaelBloomberg’s damaging Early Learn program.his harmful Early Learn Program last fall.George gained company on hispicket line, including New York CityCouncil members, supporters from theNew York City Central Labor Council andthe New York State AFL-CIO.On his weekly marches,George exposes the multipleflaws of a program called EarlyLearn. Until Mayor Bloombergcame into office 11 years ago,the city’s comprehensive childcare network was acclaimed. Itincluded day care, Head Startand an extensive after-schoolprogram. Then the mayorimplemented Early Learn withouta pilot program or City Councilhearing.Some 5,000 children wereimmediately removed from theprogram as kindergarten classeswere yanked out of day carecenters. Now the city’s kindergartenshave waiting lists. Another 5,000 eligiblechildren will not receive services.More than 1,000 unionized day carecenter workers and Head Start workerswere fired in the wake of Early Learn.28 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013 PHOTO TOP: MIGUEL MALDONADO; BOTTOM: DC 1707

SPRINGFIELD ILLINOISAFSCME Blocks Efforts toWeaken Pension SystemAs the legislative leadership in the Illinois General Assemblyprepared to renew efforts to slash public pension benefits inearly January, thousands of active and retired public serviceworkers, including members of Council 31, swarmed into thestate Capitol for two days of protests.The union members and retirees delivered a strongmessage to Gov. Pat Quinn and other political leaders whowant to change the method for calculating the annual costof-livingadjustment (COLA) provision for pensions. Theproposed changes would drastically reduce the ability ofretirees to keep up with rising costs for food, utilities and otherbasic necessities.The We Are One Illinois coalition, of which Council 31 isa member, says it is “wrong to punish public employees forthe actions – or inaction – of irresponsible politicians” who,for decades,“ shorted or skipped the employer contributionsrequired by law, creating the nation’s largest pension debt.”AFSCME and the We Are One Illinois coalition offeredtheir own framework for a fair and constitutional solutionto the pension funding problem. It would provide anDemonstrators fill the state Capitol in Springfield to protest plansto undermine the retirement security of public service workers.ironclad guarantee that state government could not skip itspension payments in the future; close wasteful corporate taxloopholes worth $2 billion a year; and ask active employeesto contribute an additional 2 percent of their salary to helpclose the shortfall.“Our coalition has consistently indicated our willingnessto work constructively toward a solution to the pensionunderfunding problem,” said Council 31 Exec. Dir. HenryBayer, also an International vice president.COLUMBIA MARYLANDCouncil 3Holds FoundingConventionThe union’s newest council is MarylandCouncil 3, which held its foundingconvention this past winter in Columbia,Md. Council 3 represents 24,000 state anduniversity, and private sector employeesfrom more than a dozen departments andagencies and university campuses.More than 150 delegates attended.They ratified their first constitution andelected a slate of officers – including Pres.Patrick Moran (Local 770), and Sec.-Treas.Flo Jones (Local 112). Also elected wereseveral executive vice presidents: MoSaid (Local 539), Lisa Henson (Local 1427)and Ron Lohr (Local 898).Delegates also elected region boardmembers, unit board members andtrustees.Council 3 is the reconstitutedCouncil 982, which went into “organizingcommittee status” five years ago toreorganize and rebuild. At that time, thecouncil had fewer than 9,000 members.Today it has more than 24,000 members.AFSCME Maryland Council 3 officers,including Pres. Patrick Moran (center), aresworn-in during the council’s foundingconvention in Columbia, Md.The council is nearly three timeslarger than it was in 2007.And it already has severalhighlights, including winning fair share,a Correctional Officers Bill of Rights,stopping furloughs and pay cuts, andthe recent vote of 1,500 Maryland stateworkers to join the council.“To come out of the gate with thatsignificant organizing victoryshows that unions are very muchhere for workers and workers areresponding to that,” Moran said.AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders,Sec.-Treas. Laura Reyes andInternational Vice Pres. andExec. Dir. of Maryland Council67 Glenard S. Middleton, Sr.addressed the Convention,applauding Council 3’s victoriesand encouraging the delegates tokeep up the fight in Maryland.PHOTO TOP: CHUCK STOUT; KHALID NAJI ALLAH AFSCME.org 29

AFSCMEACROSS AMERICARICHMOND INDIANAMember Helps Police NabRobbery SuspectWhen Richmond, Ind., Sanitary District employee JamesDarren Duncan, a member of Local 1791 (Council 62), heard abroadcast description of a truck driven by a robbery suspect inJanuary, it jogged his memory. He’d just seen a similar vehicleon his route.Duncan immediately contacted Richmond Police Capt. JimBranum to tell him what he knew. Police followed up, findinga suspect scraping a decal off a red pick-up truck. It was thesame decal a passerby spotted on a truck a day earlier. Thatpasserby connected the truck to a local store robbery thatsame day and notified the police.As a result of Duncan’s quick thinking, police secured awarrant to search the suspect’s home. The suspect was latercharged with one count of armedrobbery.Richmond Police DepartmentCapt. Bill Shake told a newsreporter, “We would not havebeen able to solve this as fast if ithad not been for citizen input.”Duncan and Richmondresident Russell Mabry – whogave police the initial descriptionof the suspect’s vehicle –were honored on Feb. 4 witha commendation from theJames Darren Duncan,Richmond Police Department.Local 1791 (Council 62)Duncan’s proclamation stated:“Your dedication to the quality of life in Richmond andyour community spirit and sense of teamwork as an employeeof the City of Richmond; and your assistance in locating thevehicle involved in the series of Village Pantry robberies is tobe commended. You have raised the bar for many to achieve.”LIMA OHIOKasich ProtestorsDemand MoreMoney for Schools,Services, OpposeRight-to-Work(left to right) Mark Factor, Bart Anderson,Janelle McKee (Council 8)“More empty promises.” That wasthe theme of a demonstrationby protestors, including AFSCMEmembers, who stood in thefreezing night air this Februarybefore Gov. John Kasich gavehis State of the State addressacross the street. Their messageto the governor: no more budgetcuts that hurt education andsupport for local governments.The demonstration, outsidethe Veterans Memorial Civicand Convention Center, wassponsored by the progressivelabor group We Are Ohio.“As a community, we’re justgetting by,” said Bart Anderson,an electronic technician whoworks on the City of Lima’s waterplants. Anderson, also presidentof Local 1002 (Council 8), said it’sa struggle to fund education, andthe last school levy failed to pass.“And from what I know aboutthe budget, it’s just more emptypromises.BOSTONMASSACHUSETTSIVP Sworn InCouncil 93 Exec.Dir. Frank Moroney,newly elected tothe InternationalExecutive Board,was sworn in as anInternational vice Moroneypresident (IVP) byPresident Saunders in Washington, DC.Moroney was nominated last Novemberto fill the vacant IVP position by aunanimous vote of the Local 804 ExecutiveBoard. He has served since December.Moroney will fill the remainder of afour-year term that will expire in 2016.“It is truly an honor and a privilege tobe part of the AFSCME InternationalExecutive Board,” said Moroney. “I lookforward to drawing on the experience andresources of my fellow board membersand President Saunders and Sec.-Treas.Laura Reyes.”30 AFSCME WORKS SPRING 2013PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: CITY OF RICHMOND; COUNCIL 93; JOE WEIDNER

Activists join Local 1733 in honoring the 1968 Sanitation Workers’ Strike and the memory of Dr. King. Sec.-Treas. Laura Reyes andPres. Lee Saunders flank Martin Luther King III (center). They are joined by (right) International Association of Fire Fighters Pres.Harold Schaitberger and AFL-CIO Exec. Vice. Pres. Arlene Holt Baker.MEMPHISTENNESSEEA StrikingCelebrationDuring the last days of his life, Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr. joined thesanitation workers of Memphis Local1733 in their fight for dignity andrespect on the job. Their historic 1968strike drew the nation’s eyes to thestruggle for workers’ rights.This April, AFSCME convenedstudents, clergy, union members,political leaders, and civil rights activistsfor an historic, two-day commemorationof the 45th anniversary of the strikeand Dr. King’s Poor People’s Campaign;Martin Luther King III also served as cochairof the activities.Addressing the crowd gathered fora rally at Local 1733’s union hall, Pres.Lee Saunders said, “How ironic that, 45years after Dr. King spoke out againsteconomic injustice here – right here –Wall Street booms for a few, while theAmerican Dream remains out of reachfor so many. The fight for workers’ rightsand civil rights are inseparable. Withworking families and unions under attack,we must make alliances with communitygroups to ensure everyone has achance at the dream. “ The City of Memphishonored Local 1733 and the strikingworkers by renaming the street wherethe local office is located “1968 StrikersLane.” AFSCME’s volunteer memberorganizers hit the streets of Memphisto organize new members and reclaiminactive members into the union.View video and othercoverage from Memphis atAFSCME.org/memphis.PHOTO: JOHN FOCHT AFSCME.org 31

WORKSThe Magazine of the American Federation of State,County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIOPublic Heroesat BostonMarathonBY PABLO ROSIn April, two bombs ripped througha crowd at the Boston Marathon,killing three people and injuring 176.Within seconds, public service workers,including AFSCME members, rushedtoward the detonation sites, tending togravely wounded victims, evacuatingsurvivors, and peeling back debris.“The knowledge that AFSCMEpublic works and other city employeesrushed to the scene to help firstresponders evacuate and treatthe injured makes us proud,” saidInternational Vice Pres. and Council93 Exec. Dir. Frank Moroney and Pres.Charles C. Owen, Jr. “But these feelingsof relief and pride are completelyeclipsed by a profound sense of shockand sadness over what happened toour city.”Council 93 represents more than45,000 state, county and municipalemployees in Maine, Massachusetts,New Hampshire and Vermont. At left,Boston Department of Public Worksemployee and Local 445 member SteveStapleton rushed back to the impactarea to assist other first responders.“Our hearts go out to thosewho lost family members and thosestruggling with the injuries theysuffered,” said Pres. Lee Saunders.PHOTO: COURTESY OF COUNCIL 93