Last year, nearly half a million workers went on strike across the nation, the largest number since 1986, when the country’s union membership rate was considerably higher (17.5%) than it was in 2018 (10.5%).
This month, the votes were counted and Local 1 members voted overwhelmingly to be a part of AFSCME Council 57.
This historic unification will blend two strong unions to become a more powerful organization to continue fighting and winning the dignity, respect and improvements for all AFSCME members in Northern California and the Central Valley.
This will also move the number of workers the council now represents to roughly 35,000.
At the last Delegate Meeting, Jessica Vollmer, who works with Working Partnerships USA, shared a presentation with us that laid out a landmark initiative that is looking to reform Prop. 13.
This initiative, which is called Schools and Communities First, would bring over $11 billion to schools and communities that have been choked for resources since Prop. 13 came into existence.
Our brothers and sisters who work at BART now have more power at the bargaining table thanks to a new agreement they reached with the transit agency.
With the new agreement, which was a result of years of organizing and using some political pressure from Sacramento, AFSCME Local 3993 nearly doubled its membership and created a better way to resolve labor disputes between management and workers.
AFSCME members stood on the steps of the Supreme Court this morning to support the LGBTQ community as the court heard three cases centered on the question of whether it is legal to fire someone for being gay or transgender.
Nearly 600 of our sisters and brothers recently won their first contract at Tahoe Forest Hospital, giving them a stronger voice at the medical center and allowing them to continue providing quality care to patients in a fair work environment.
Both AFSCME Local 3254—which represents a number of licensed professionals including nurses, occupational health therapists and clinical lab technicians—and Local 3965—which represents workers such as clerks, cooks and medical assistants—won a 9% raise over three years.
