WHEREAS:

Our union launched the AFSCME Strong campaign in March 2015 to build the strongest possible union by speaking with and mobilizing our members; and

WHEREAS:

AFSCME initiated a partnership of electoral and internal organizing work into a “hybrid campaign” that engages our members in discussions of issues that are both political and related to worksite representation; and

WHEREAS:

A hybrid political campaign is much deeper and more comprehensive than a traditional political campaign. Hybrid campaigns focus on one-on-one conversations with existing and new members both at the doors and in the workplace. These conversations start with a focus on listening to members concerns, asking them to recommit to membership in the union, becoming more engaged in the union, especially through PEOPLE, and then moving to the importance of electoral engagement and GOTV to win elections and improve members' lives; and

WHEREAS:

The metrics for hybrid campaigns focus primarily on signing up new members, re-signing existing members on maintenance of dues cards, identifying new activists, increasing PEOPLE participation, identifying supporters of endorsed candidates and persuading supporters to vote; and

WHEREAS:

The first hybrid campaign was unveiled during the 2015 Iowa caucuses. Over three months, political and organizing staff, and activists worked together on the campaign that resulted in 609 new members, 180 PEOPLE cards with 164 of those signing up at the MVP level. In the successful 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial program, AFSCME New Jersey signed up over 10,000 members on maintenance of dues cards, converted 1,923 agency-fee payers to members, gained 164 new activists and signed up 735 members to PEOPLE of which 525 were at the MVP level. Much of this work was carried out by member organizers; and