Greetings fellow AFSCME leaders

We are bringing you a choice this year for leadership of Council 5. We hope that you will make every effort to send someone from your local to the Council 5 convention this year and weigh in on this important vote. We are running for election for the leadership positions of AFSCME Council 5 at the convention. Our slate has a four-point plan called ‘Four for the Fight’ that we have put together for our union’s future.

Member Driven

We are committed to be member driven. Not patronizing, not reactive, but truly receptive to members input and direction. Our vision is to build a council where every local’s leadership knows they have a stake in what happens. Given the Janus decision it will be important that every local not only has the resources that they need, but can have input into the resources needed and building the future of our union.

Inclusive Council

We are committed to make our union a organization for all members, and not have leadership be viewed as an exclusive in-crowd. All our locals, big and small, in rural and urban areas, in every workplace and sector, deserve input into the strategic direction of our union. And all members deserve their voices to be heard. The anti-union forces are doing everything they can to pit workers against each other. We know that we share a common commitment to making our workplaces and communities better for all working people. When we stand together, in one unified voice, we are an unstoppable force.

Stronger Locals

We are committed to encourage a system where locals flourish. We know that the only way our council can be strong is if our locals are strong. Local leaders know best what our workplace problems are and what the demands of our members are. Council 5 has a lot of resources and tools to help us build a stronger union, and we are committed to make all of these tools known and accessible to the locals’ leadership so that we can build the shop floor fights that make real gains for our members. Communications, political, legislative, accounting, organizing, grievances/arbitrations, and leadership development are all tools that should be easily accessible to the locals.

Better Contracts

We are committed to fight for better contracts. Not only do we have to make sure that collective bargaining continues to exist, but we have to make sure that we win the strongest possible contracts through strategic planning, contract campaigns that mobilize our members and build community support, and ensuring that we build credible and plausible strike threats. While a strike is always the last option, employers need to know this is an option we are willing and able to take.

From the shop floor to the state capitol, from greater Minnesota to the the Twin Cities, we have a vision of building working class power and taking on the union-busting bosses and politicians. We ask for you and your local to support and be a part of Four for the Fight!

For more information about the campaign:

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Email pat4c5@gmail.com