WHEREAS:
AFSCME members across the country recognize the ability of the union to be a mechanism to advance their personal and collective interests in the workplace; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME members want to advance in their professional careers; and
WHEREAS:
Individuals from historically marginalized communities experience fewer workplace advancement opportunities due to inequity in the ability to achieve advanced degrees and certifications prior to entering the workforce, and that this inequity leads to inequity in opportunities to advance in the workplace; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME members recognize that opportunities for professional advancement improve job satisfaction and employee retention, and that these factors improve the workplace for everyone in that workplace, and ultimately improve the quality of care and services delivered; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME is committed to improving the work lives of AFSCME members, the creation of quality high road jobs and the quality of care and services delivered by AFSCME members; and
WHEREAS:
Focusing on workforce development is an opportunity to collaborate with employers in an area of mutual interest; and
WHEREAS:
Joint labor-management partnerships where unions and employers maintain equal decision-making authority are the best vehicle to advance workplace democracy; and
WHEREAS:
Many opportunities exist to access federal and state support for workforce development.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will work with federal grant making agencies to emphasize the need for workforce development grant-making that prioritizes robust opportunities for joint labor-management partnerships, and that prioritizes quality jobs, whose definition will include living wages, good benefits and the opportunity to exercise a voice at work; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will facilitate strategizing and best practices among and between the staff of various affiliates and union-associated joint training programs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
AFSCME will support affiliates in engaging with local elected officials who have appointing authority for workforce development boards in order to develop a long-term strategy to expand our influence, by improving the employer composition of the boards through encouraging participation of responsible, union-friendly employers and community-based organizations as board members, and by ensuring representatives of a broad cross section of employee representatives of various industries have opportunities to participate to the fullest extent allowed by law; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will support affiliates through research, policy and legislative engagement in shaping legislation to help achieve workforce development goals and the pursuit of specific workforce development projects.
SUBMITTED BY:
Frederick Yungbluth, Jr., President
Meredith Hickman, Secretary
AFSCME Council 75
Oregon