AFSCME Preparing Next Wave of Union Leaders

by James Parks, Jul 17, 2009

More than 500 young activiats participated in an electronic town meeting at AFSCME’s Next Wave Conference.

AFSCME is hard at work preparing the next generation of union leaders. Last month, more than 500 AFSCME members, age 35 and under, met in Chicago for the union’s first national Next Wave Conference—three days of activism, strategizing and learning about the union movement.

During an electronic town meeting, the young AFSCME members talked about their goals and expectations as union activists and ideas on how to promote participation in their local unions.

At workshops, attendees learned how to address the media, conduct local union meetings, develop leadership skills and understand the country’s financial crisis. There even were some sessions for “older and wiser” activists and leaders who are playing a role in mentoring new and young activists.

AFSCME President Gerald McEntee told the participants:

I predict that one day, some of you will be up here encouraging other people 35 and under to work hard and stay connected and committed to AFSCME and labor. They will be the next ‘Next Wave.’ And you will be the teachers, the mentors, the role models.    

Avery Seawright, a member of AFSCME Local 1547 in New York, says:

It’s crucial for younger people to get involved in the union because of the simple fact that once the older members are gone, you need somebody to pass along all the knowledge.

Reaching out to young people is a top priority for the AFL-CIO. Speaking at the Texas state federation convention this week, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, a candidate for AFL-CIO president, said:

If there’s anything our labor movement needs, it’s an infusion of younger Americans—the people whose futures are taking a beating at the hands of the Wall Street hucksters and fast-buck artists who’ve driven our economy into a ditch. 

The Next Wave members also rallied at Resurrection Health Care’s West Suburban Medical Center in support of employees who have been trying to form a union with AFSCME for the past seven years.

AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer William Lucy added that it is important to build new leadership.

We cannot delegate the responsibility for building the kind of society we seek, either to our full-time adversaries or to our part-time allies. We must set the agenda and continue to build the power to make it a reality.

To learn more about AFSCME’s Next Wave conference, click here and here. Check out the Next Wave Toolkit here.

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