Today the 37th International Convention of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees kicks off in Chicago. When most people think of conventions, they usually think of lots of speeches and very little delegate participation. But this convention is different.
This year AFSCME is poised to enact our "21st Century Initiative," the most far-reaching change initiative in our union's history. Kos blogged about it Friday. And like him, we hope its impact will be felt throughout the progressive movement as we get stronger and work even more closely with our allies.
In 2004, progressives had just lost our third straight election. And the politicians who won were more viciously anti-union than ever (newly elected governors in Missouri, Kentucky and Indiana made stripping state workers of their collective bargaining rights their first priority). Big ideas like universal health care and a living wage - ideas that progressives cherish - seemed like quaint reminders of the mid-90s.
So we decided to do something that very few large organizations have the courage to do: We looked at ourselves in the mirror and decided we needed to change. To do this, we sought advice from every corner of our union. From International vice presidents to shop stewards to rank-and-file workers. And here's how we decided to change:
1. AFSCME has long believed that local union presidents know their city councils and state legislatures best. So we're going to help state councils and local unions develop the tools they need to win, including establishing a leadership institute to provide on-the-ground training for local leaders and activists.
2. We will commit unprecedented resources to new organizing campaigns and to mobilize existing members. In fact, we've set a goal to grow our 1.4 million membership by 5% each year.
3. We will retool our political program to run year-round, rather than just in the months leading up to an election. Rather than defending our values against right wing attacks, we're going on a fulltime offensive to expose how their morally bankrupt agenda is destroying America as we know it.
4. We will rekindle the fight for universal health care and other agenda items that underscore our progressive values of security, opportunity and fairness for all. After all, electing progressives to office won't matter much if we don't build an environment in which they unabashedly can fight for our values - and win real policies that improve people's lives.
Looking at the 21st Century Initiative, it's pretty clear that this isn't just about changing AFSCME. It's about helping the larger progressive movement reach our shared goals.
The time for hand wringing, sulking, whining and finger pointing is over. We know what we need to do to win. By making these big changes within our union, we're trying to do our part.