Convention time in Anaheim

ABOUT 5,000 delegates gathered in Anaheim in June for the afscme International Convention. Among them were about 200 from Council 2.
During the week-long convention, the delegates:

Heard a number of leading Americans outline their priorities for the labor movement and the country.

Attended workshops on such issues as organizing and services related to collective bargaining.

Approved 107 resolutions and three constitutional amendments.
The speakers included Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, who told delegates that, as president, he would provide states with $25 billion so that “we can put an end to painful budget cuts that hurt local services and the workers who provide them.”

Other speakers were former president Bill Clinton — who said he probably would not have been elected without AFSCME’s support — Rev. Jesse Jackson, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson.

Among the decisions made at the convention was one to add 50 cents to the International Per Capita Tax, afscme’s portion of the dues paid by union members. The increase comes into effect on January 1, 2005 and will sunset in June 2006.

The increase means members will pay an additional $9, spread over 18 months, to AFSCME.

The additional money will allow afscme to continue assisting organizing new members across the country and will be added to existing resources to turn the political tide at a time when confusing policies are coming out of Washington D.C.

The convention delegates unanimously supported the dues increase.

AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee was re-elected to a new four-year term and at one stage during the convention, afscme Secretary-Treasurer William Lucy said he would stand down. But at the last minute, at the urging of delegates, he decided, if elected, to remain in the post and was unanimously chosen to do so.