AFSCME’s
39th International Convention
District
Council 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts, along with DC 37 officers and delegates,
were among the 5,000 delegates, alternates and guests at AFSCME’s 39th International
Convention. “Ready to Fight! Ready to Lead!” was the theme of June 28–July
2 gathering in Boston.
The election of Pres. Barack Obama and this year’s
passage of major health care reform showed AFSCME and DC 37 activism is second
to none. International President Gerald W. McEntee opened the event with a keynote
address, which was followed by a special tribute to William Lucy, who retired
as AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer in June.
Throughout the week, delegates heard
from guest speakers, rallied with Council 93 to help protect public services,
urged Congress to approve the jobs bill and considered key policy resolutions
and Constitutional amendments. Over 2,000 AFSCME members who perform the same
work met at 21 special caucuses to discuss ways to debunk damaging myths about
public service workers.
Representatives of AFSCME Retirees and Next Wavers,
age 35 and younger, met on stage to highlight the commitment of AFSCME activists
across the generations. Newly organized workers described their struggle to join
AFSCME.
On July 1, after a vigorous and energetic campaign Lee Saunders,
Executive Assistant to AFSCME President McEntee, was elected Secretary-Treasurer
of the nation’s most powerful public sector union. Earlier in the week, DC
37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts seconded Saunders’ nomination from
the convention floor calling him a “bold visionary and skilled leader who
is committed to our union’s struggle to protect public services and the men
and women who provide them.”
DC
37 PEP Photos by Clarence Elie-Rivera.
AFSCME
39th Annual Convention: Delegates get "Ready to Fight, Ready to Lead."
AFSCME
39th Annual Convention: President Gerald W. McEntee welcomes delegates in
opening speech.
AFSCME
39th Annual Convention: AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka speaks to the convention.
 | |  | AFSCME
39th Annual Convention:
Ana Anaya told why she and newly-organized AFIS
co-workers voted to join DC 37 Local 1549. | | AFSCME
39th Annual Convention: Progressive talk show host Ed Schultz
tells delegates, "Organized labor built this country, organized labor can
save this country." |
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