AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES            

AFSCME negotiates and lobbies with City and County Management, the City Council and with the Commissioner Court on matters of concern  to all employees such as:

AFSCME provides individual representation to our members for on work related issue including:

                                AFSCME 1624 DUES STRUCTURE

AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.

AFSCME is growing. Hundreds of thousands of workers without union representation have voted to join with us through our successful organizing efforts. With AFSCME, more public service workers than ever enjoy job protection, an improved standard of living, economic security in retirement and a strong voice at work.

We are AFSCME and we are proud of our strength and past successes. But we cannot rest now. We must continue to raise our voices and we must continue to fight for America’s working families.

Why join AFSCME?

As AFSCME members, we have the power to make a difference. By joining together, AFSCME members have clout at the ballot box, in the halls of government and at the bargaining table. AFSCME is one of the nation’s most powerful advocates for working families.

AFSCME negotiates strong contracts, wins wage increases, protects jobs, settles grievances, stops privatization, and fights for health, retirement and other benefits for members from every field of public service. As AFSCME members, we receive expert assistance from knowledgeable staff, top-notch negotiators and experienced attorneys.

Why do I need a union now?

Big corporations and anti-worker politicians are attacking public employees and the services we provide. Their goal is simple: privatize our jobs, strip us of our rights and dismantle the public sector. They’re going after our wages, our pensions and our health care. And in 2005, newly elected governors in Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri took away the bargaining rights of all state employees. This can happen anywhere.

In Washington, D.C., and in state capitols across the country, it’s the same old thing: politicians side with the rich and powerful, and neglect the needs of middle-class families.

Whether you are a public employee or work for a private company providing public services, we have to act now to stop the right-wing rush to lower our wages and benefits and eliminate our rights. That’s why building a strong union is so important now.

Who is in AFSCME?

AFSCME’s members provide the vital services that make America happen. We are nurses, corrections officers, child care providers, EMTs and sanitation workers. Many AFSCME members have special training or are certified in their respective fields.

Who runs AFSCME?

We do. AFSCME is run by its members. Every member has a vote in the election of local union officers and board members. We negotiate our contracts, which must be approved by members. Each local union has its own constitution and governing documents. Members decide on policies, activities and dues. And as AFSCME members, we are protected by our Members’ Bill of Rights.

How can we get more power on the job?

Yes. With AFSCME, workers have improved their jobs and the services they provide. AFSCME has negotiated more than 8,000 written agreements with better pay, benefits and working conditions. Employment standards vary from state to state and community to community, but AFSCME is familiar — and experienced — with all of them.

By working together in our own workplace and building on the strength of 1.4 million members across the country, we win strong contracts and protect our jobs. The challenges we face are enormous. Health insurance premiums are skyrocketing, employers are attacking our pensions, politicians are cutting budgets at the expense of public service workers, and our jobs are under direct attack by those who seek to privatize and outsource work to the lowest bidder. The only way we can win is to mobilize our membership to fight against these attacks and grow by organizing other public service workers.

How does AFSCME reach out to workers who are not union members?

By organizing — helping unorganized workers form unions with AFSCME — we can become stronger. AFSCME recruits and trains the best organizers in the country, mobilizes dedicated volunteers and applies cutting-edge strategies and oldfashioned hard work to strengthen and expand our membership. By organizing with AFSCME, workers win new rights and benefits.

Why is organizing important?

Organizing and growing gives us more power. Despite AFSCME’s successes, union membership is down nationwide, even in the public sector. And with state budgets getting tighter, politicians will look for ways to reduce public-sector payrolls. Unless we organize, the percentage of workers represented by unions will decline, which will weaken our bargaining power. The more members our union has, the more powerful we are in the workplace and with the politicians who make decisions that affect our work and lives.

Does organizing new workers help existing members?

Yes, since we launched our new organizing program, more than 400,000 newly organized workers joined with AFSCME. By growing, we’re able to negotiate stronger contracts and can offer better services and benefits for members. Strength comes from an active and large membership, so we’ve got to get bigger by helping workers form new unions with AFSCME. Now, more than ever, it’s important that our voices be heard on Capitol Hill, and by our state and local governments.