WHEREAS:
Target 5000, formerly the 2000 in 2000 Initiative, was announced by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and AFSCME President Gerald McEntee in December 2001 to encourage union members to run for public office; and
WHEREAS:
The 2000th union member elected to office was AFSCME member Willie Johnson Jr., of Local 645, Council 48 in Milwaukee Wisconsin, who was elected to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in April of 2000; and
WHEREAS:
To date, AFSCME has identified over 160 members who hold public office at all levels and each year dozens of AFSCME members commit to improving the lives of working families in their community by running for elected office; and
WHEREAS:
Monitoring all 1.3 million AFSCME members who are running for, or elected to, office is a massive undertaking at the national, state and local level, which will necessitate constant coordination between the Political Action Department and affiliate councils and locals; and
WHEREAS:
In addition to doubling the number of union members who hold public office, the AFL-CIO and its affiliates will focus on specific legislative bodies where labor can have the most impact by electing a pro-worker majority; and
WHEREAS:
The AFL-CIO has formed a new PAC specifically for union candidates and has launched the National Political Leadership Institute which will begin a two-track pilot program in 2002 to train union members to manage campaigns and to train members to be better candidates for office. It will hold conferences to give union members holding public office on all levels an opportunity to exchange ideas and strategies about policy-making and campaigning; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME has trained hundreds of activists in basic and advanced campaigning skills, through its Nuts-and-Bolts and Advanced Trainings, to become more effective campaign volunteers, staff campaigns, or run for office.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME International will encourage and assist those AFSCME members running for office who will be effective advocates for the union's agenda and who can mount credible campaigns; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
AFSCME will encourage councils and locals to seek out opportunities for these members to run for elected office; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
That AFSCME International, in partnership with the AFL-CIO, will assist these AFSCME members, who run for or are elected to office, to participate in any Target 5000 trainings and conferences.
SUBMITTED BY: INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD