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Increasing member activism and ongoing political and legislative action are paramount to strengthening the institutions in which AFT members work. Increasing the number of workers nationwide who are represented by unions is important to the job security and economic well being of AFT members, too.
That was the recurring message at the 2007 joint conference of AFT's healthcare and public employee divisions held in Las Vegas on June 14-17. The conference theme was "Work That Matters." A chorus of speakers, including AFT president Edward J. McElroy, AFT vice presidents Candice Owley and David Hecker, and AFT Public Employees program and policy council chair Bruce Ludwig, urged the record crowd of 460 registrants to think and act both locally and globally on behalf of the trade union movement and workers' rights. AFSCME secretary-treasurer Bill Lucy was also a part of the opening plenary session.
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| Bill Lucy, left and President McElroy speak to the attendees. All photos by Michael Campbell. | |
President McElroy connected the political and legislative attacks on workers' rights, job security, healthcare benefits and retirement security to the overall decline nationwide in unionized workers. "We can't be a dwindling part of the population and be effective," McElroy said. While expanding the ranks of unionized workers is essential for the well being of the middle and working classes, so is electing candidates to public office who "support the values, principles and ideals that we have as trade union members," he said.
One of those principles—universal healthcare—played a prominent role at the conference. In addition to a plenary session featuring doctors Ole Thiennaus of the University of Nevada School of Medicine and Quentin Young of Physicians for a National Health Program, conference participants and their guests watched Michael Moore's new film "Sicko." "Healthcare everywhere else in the world is a public service, not a commodity," said Owley, chair of the AFT Healthcare program and policy council, noting that "this is a time for all of us to look for the way to make this come true for everybody."
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Patrick Bresette |
Throughout the weekend, participants chose from 36 workshops on topics that included negotiations, privatization, workplace violence and many others. Other plenary sessions included an in-depth examination of the Public Employees Federation program, Go Public and the Montana MEA-MFT program, Work that Matters; an awards luncheon; and a closing session on Count Me In for Organizing and Union Building.
AFT Public Employees also sponsored a pre-conference workshop, Bringing the Public Back to the Public Sector: Communicating Effectively About Government and Its Role. More than 70 people attended the six-hour workshop, which was led by Patrick Bresette from Public Works: The Demos Center for the Public Sector.
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It wasn't all work! The conferees gathered to celebrate Las Vegas style during Friday's reception that included a visit from Elvis. |
Ludwig summed up the conference them this way: "Whether we are providing patient care or social services, whether we are protecting air and water quality or auditing tax records or helping with public safety and health, our members provide thousands of services every day to help strengthen our communities and build our nation. This is truly work that matters."
[Kathy Walsh, Adrienne Coles,
Jennifer Porcari]
June 21, 2007
