PrintA time for change
More than 3,900 delegates and guests gathered in the nation's capital July 14-17 for the AFT's biennial convention. The agenda for the four-day event was jam-packed: Delegates elected a new president and took up issues from universal healthcare to the endorsement of Sen. John F. Kerry for president of the United States.
The convention opened with a farewell from outgoing president Sandra Feldman, who urged AFT members to keep fighting for higher academic standards for all students, quality preschool programs, universal healthcare, better wages for workers.
Following her speech, Feldman and the delegates were treated to a surprise visitor: longtime AFT ally Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.). The senator praised Feldman's "extraordinary vision, leadership and commitment" to education, healthcare and the labor movement.
In a special order of business, delegates unanimously adopted a resolution honoring Feldman, who had headed the AFT since 1997. The resolution praises her as "a tireless advocate for children, public education and the labor movement and a strong voice for the 1.3 million educators, healthcare professionals, public employees and retirees" who belong to the AFT.
New leadership
In his first address as the newly elected president of the AFT, Edward J. McElroy assured delegates that the union will stay true to the course that has made it one of the fastest-growing and most respected unions in the country. Elected with McElroy for the two additional top slots were Nat LaCour as AFT secretary-treasurer, who had served as AFT's executive vice president, and Antonia "Toni" Cortese, an AFT vice president from New York, as the union's new executive vice president.
Citing the contributions of former presidents Feldman and Albert Shanker, leaders who placed the AFT squarely in labor's vanguard, McElroy told delegates, "We have an obligation to continue their work. And we will. We are all part of the same team."
McElroy pledged that the AFT would honor its broad mission to build the house of labor. That means "coordinating efforts on organizing, political action, health and safety, public policy-and many other efforts where the strength of the whole is so much greater than the strength of any individual union."
McElroy also promised that the AFT would devote every ounce of its energy, resources and talent to win the 2004 presidential election. He detailed, division by division, the many problems facing AFT members and the institutions they serve, thanks to "misguided leadership from the White House and the majority in Congress."
Job cuts, skyrocketing healthcare costs, mandatory overtime and barriers to union organizing are among those ills, said McElroy, adding, "There is one more thing that this administration and this presidency will be remembered for-lasting only one term."
He called on AFT members to work to elect John Kerry as president of the United States, "so that we can get back to advancing ideas that work, rather than staving off attacks on public services and the public good."
Healthcare resolutions
One of the first healthcare resolutions delegates debated involved healthcare reform. The delegates overwhelmingly approved resolutions to improve healthcare and working conditions for healthcare workers.
The delegates passed a resolution reaffirming the union's support for national healthcare reform, including universal coverage and access to quality care at a reasonable cost. The resolution calls for the AFT to continue its efforts to build coalitions with other organizations and educate members about healthcare costs and access until a national health insurance plan is adopted in the United States.
"It is the responsibility of our union to continue efforts to provide and extend healthcare coverage to all," said Anne Goldman, the special representative for the Federation of Nurses/United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and a member of AFT Healthcare's program and policy council. "We have the compassion, will and desire to move the agenda," even though "the reality is that the country wishes to have coverage but doesn't want to pay for it."
Thomas Murphy, a member of Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) in New Jersey, also stood in support of the resolution, noting that "dedicated healthcare professionals must play a prominent role in shaping healthcare reform."
In response to a proposal by the New York State Board of Nursing that requires registered nurses to obtain a bachelor of science in nursing (or BSN) degree to keep their licenses, the delegates resolved to oppose such a mandate.
That kind of rule "delivers a crippling and unnecessary blow" to a system suffering from a shortage of nurses, said Raymond Hodges, president of the Monroe Woodbury Teachers Association in New York. "Until working conditions-such as mandatory overtime and understaffing- change to allow time to pursue degrees, this regulation must be pushed back."
"I'm not against education, I'm against mandating," said Renee Setteducato, a Federation of Nurses/UFT member who stood in support of the resolution. "Can we afford to exacerbate the shortage that exists? It is the nurses with years of experience who save lives. No degree can substitute for that."
The delegates also overwhelmingly supported a resolution of great concern to school nurses. Resolution 66, Care of Children with Diabetes, calls for the AFT to lobby against training nonmedical school personnel to perform nursing tasks. Such training is an "inappropriate alternative to hiring the necessary number of school nurses to care for students with medical needs," the union says.
In addition, delegates adopted a resolution that calls for a national campaign and lobbying effort to establish no-lift policies in all hospitals and healthcare and educational settings to prevent injuries. The resolution also calls for federal and state legislation to address the issue.
Delegates approve constitutional amendments
Changes tighten affiliate and financial
review requirements
Delegates approved a new article, "Affiliate Audit and Financial Review Requirements," in the AFT constitutional bylaws. It stipulates that affiliates with 1,000 or more members, excluding retirees, must submit annual audits prepared by an independent CPA (certified public accountant) and include a letter certifying that the audit has been presented at a regular or special meeting of the AFT affiliate's governing body and made available to members.
For affiliates with fewer than 1,000 members, the financial review may be submitted either as an audit prepared by an independent CPA or by an internal audit committee. In all cases, if an audit or financial review is not submitted to the AFT within six months of the close of the affiliate's fiscal year, the AFT may conduct the audit or financial review at the affiliate's expense.
Delegates also approved a new section of the bylaws that defines requirements for a local to be in good standing, including providing current names and addresses for the principal executive and financial officers, as well as the executive board. Locals must be in good standing to ensure their representation at the AFT convention, participation in the AFT's occupational liability insurance program, coverage under the AFT Militancy/Defense Fund and financial assistance from the AFT.
The convention also approved national per capita dues increases for the next two years. Effective Sept. 1, 2004, the per capita dues will increase from $12.35 to $12.75 per month and will increase to $13.20 per member, per month effective Sept. 1, 2005.
AFT Healthcare celebrates remarkable growth
Divisional meeting focuses on strengthening the union, mobilizing members
In the 25 years since our healthcare division became part of the AFT, it has grown from a few hundred members to more than 66,000 nurses and health professionals.
"The numbers may not sound like a lot, but when you think about what a daunting task it is to organize healthcare workers, it's quite remarkable," Candice Owley, chair of AFT Healthcare's program and policy council (PPC) and an AFT vice president, told delegates to the convention.
The work of AFT Healthcare and its affiliates to negotiate contracts and lobby for good, affordable healthcare has put the union at the forefront of the fight for quality care, said Owley. But there is still work to be done. Almost
80 percent of healthcare workers in the United States remain unorganized. As a result, those workers struggling to deliver quality care have no voice, said Owley. "Without our unions, there is no way to fight for improved work conditions or the quality of care in our communities," she said.
This point was driven home for Owley during a recent trip to South Africa in which she and AFT Healthcare director Mary Lehman MacDonald met with members of the nurses' union there. In a country where the nurses are overworked and struggling to care for dozens of patients, many of whom have HIV/AIDS, it was clear to Owley that in order for the nurses to get the resources they needed, they had to strengthen their unions. The experience "reaffirmed our union's role in our country," said Owley. "We must build a union that is strong enough to carry our message to the community and lawmakers."
Owley also discussed the importance of mobilizing members for the upcoming presidential election. "The roles unionized healthcare workers play in the community have never been greater," said Owley. "You are the leaders in your communities. You must be able to talk to your members and co-workers about our positions on issues like work conditions, privatization of healthcare, tax cuts and the right to organize. Let them know why they need to care and get involved."
Delegates also heard from Ann Twomey, president of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) in New Jersey, who detailed the success of her union's ongoing One Voice campaign. Twomey is also the vice chair of the PPC and an AFT vice president.
HPAE's campaign connected 10 of its locals by lining up their contract expiration dates. The campaign is focused on winning a common set of standards on staffing, pension, salaries and retiree health benefits. To date, six locals have won agreements to the contract demands of One Voice.
"The campaign achieved good contracts and engaged the community and our members in our struggle," said Twomey.
