WHY JOIN THE UNION?

The Council 2 Advantage

Collective Bargaining

Your union is your insurance policy laying the foundation for a better future in your work life. More and more public employees are finding that they can strengthen their say in workplace matters by working collectively to address common needs and concerns. WSCCCE/AFSCME Council 2 acts as the conduit through which you and your co-workers can be in a stronger position to win improvements in your wages, benefits and overall working conditions through the collective bargaining process. WSCCCE/AFSCME Council 2 is a professional organization run by and for people like you. The more active you are, the stronger your union will be - thereby improving your chances for a better future in your work life.
 

A Professional Staff

WSCCCE/AFSCME Council 2 currently employs 17 professional staff representatives who are highly experienced in collective bargaining, contract enforcement, and other aspects of the employee/employer relationship. As a member of a WSCCCE/AFSCME Council 2 local, you will have a staff representative assigned to assist you and your co-workers with important workplace matters. Expert Legal Assistance WSCCCE/AFSCME Council 2 includes a legal staff specializing in labor and employment law. In addition, the union retains some of the best labor lawyers on the West Coast to provide both staff and WSCCCE/AFSCME Council 2 members with the best available legal advice.   Education and Training Seminars and training sessions are conducted statewide to enable union members and local officers to better understand their rights under state law as well as in their negotiated contracts. These seminars and sessions emphasize grievance handling, job steward training, collective bargaining tactics, updates on current labor law and other issues.
 

A Democratically Run Organization

The constitution of WSCCCE/AFSCME Council 2 provides the framework for a union run by and for the members. You and your co-workers run the organization through local union meetings, and through the election of your local officers and state council officers. Your elected delegates meet at biannual conventions to set the union's statewide agenda. You will also elect the members of your negotiating committee who, along with your staff representative, will negotiate your contract. You will vote whether to accept contracts as negotiated. And you will elect shop stewards, you on the job representatives trained by the union to enforce your contract on a day to day basis.
 

Legislative Action

Many workplace safeguards are mandated by state law thanks to ongoing political action by WSCCCE/AFSCME Council 2. That is why your union maintains an office in Olympia with a full time lobbyist charged with pursuing the membership's goals before the State Legislature. WSCCCE/AFSCME Council 2 continues to work for beneficial state laws that not only protect, but also enhance, guidelines for collective bargaining, worker's compensation, and the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)/

AFSCME International Union

WSCCCE's affiliation with AFSCME International Union, which represents 1.4 million men and women nationwide, helps expand our ability to provide you with essential services. AFSCME's professional staff assist Council 2 in various ways, from providing detailed analysis of state and local budgets to assisting in education, training and communicating information to the union's members.