Shanna, Autumn, Enid and Sue

Your Elected Delegates Report for 2010 International Convention in Boston

There were four of us elected to attend the International Convention this year as AFSCME, Local 132 delegates. All four of us took this honor seriously and attended all sessions. The AFSCME International Convention held in Boston was an exciting and sometimes heartfelt experience. The main focus for this convention was the election of a new International Secretary-Treasurer to replace the beloved Bill Lucy who has served in that office for 38 years. The winner of that election would be the second most powerful position in our 1.6 million member union. Needless to say passions were high and to be expected as we have not had a major contested election since 1982!

The first day of convention there was a wonderful tribute to Bill Lucy from the beginning years when he was a young activist for AFSCME on through today. Later in the day we had a chance to sit in on the resolution committee, as there was a resolution, number 29 concerning child care centers that was being submitted by New York Council 37. We felt it was a good resolution but it left out independent child care providers. So we attended the committee meeting ready to ask for an amendment to the resolution. We soon understood that they were not allowing anyone other than committee members to speak. It so happened that Gary Gillespie, our Council 75 President, was on the committee so we passed him a note and told him it could not be submitted without adding independent child care providers as well. Well we got that amended and felt a great sense of accomplishment!

The second day we had nominations for the Secretary-Treasurer election. Bill Lucy?s choice to replace him was Danny Donahue also notably our choice as well! Danny has moved up through the rank and file of our union. As we heard many times during the week he was elected not selected. That was the big difference between the two candidates. International President McEntee was in support of his candidate, his assistant Lee Sanders. As President McEntee was in control of the house, we all hoped for some show of democracy. Sadly we were disappointed by the lack of the house even trying to show an illusion of neutrality. Before the session could even fully start someone came to a microphone and asked why when AFSCME colors are green was the newsletter of the day in yellow matching Lee Sanders campaign color? McEntee never really answered and called on another delegate. That delegate asked how could a delegate vote their conscience and not have it bound in a block vote. This was not looking good for Lee?s campaign and so once again they refused to answer the question and acted as if no one had spoken. Well we the delegates from Oregon and other states who were supporting Danny started yelling ?Answer the question, answer the question? over and over again! It was like a filibuster! Every time they tried to restore order and just move forward and skip answering our questions, the outrage and noise from the floor rose ever higher and higher still! Finally they restored order with the pledge of allegiance. From then on tensions were high!!
 Later in the day came the nominations. President McEntee was wearing a yellow Lee shirt, there was no attempt to limit McEntee?s or any other nomination speeches for Lee to the time limit. But, when it came time for supporters of Danny to speak they were either shut down or their times cut short.

One big telling story was a Lee supporter who was so disgusted by McEntee?s attitude and disrespect from the podium that she took off her yellow Lee shirt, threw it on the ground and said I?m done with this B__ S___ and walked out with shirtless in only her bra!

Special caucuses were held very early (7:30am) on day three and we had the opportunity to talk with providers from several other states. When Wisconsin and Iowa shared with us the trouble they were having in their states, we were able to share with them how we have accomplished so much. We told them they needed support from their Council and International. We have always had support from our council in the beginning and still to this day. We told them Danny Donohue had helped organize over 25,000 child care workers in New York.

We knew Wisconsin and Iowa had not yet decided who they would support in the election. During our conversation with them it was arranged for Danny to talk with these providers personally. They asked him tough questions and he answered every one of them. Our esteem for this man arose even higher if that was possible. These providers became Danny supporters and our friends that day! We have been asked to help them during their bargaining and we have agreed wholeheartedly!

Also on day two Vicky Kennedy, wife of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, spoke.  Ted Kennedy was a long time friend of AFSCME and a huge supporter of unions and the labor movement.  We watched a very moving video presentation chronicling his life.

On a beautiful sun filled third day we had a rally at Boston Commons, a 380 year old park and community meeting place. It is always called a sea of green when we gather like this, as we all wore AFSCME green T-shirts (yes even Enid). We held signs that said to stop job cuts and layoffs, stop library cuts! We listened to speeches. We called on the US Senate to pass the jobs bill that will help states with budget shortages and prevent 1.5 million Americans from losing their jobs. Then everyone marched on City Hall. Thousands of AFSCME members wearing green were stretched for several long city blocks while being escorted by police to City Hall. The City Hall was shut down for almost an hour.

The morning of the fourth day we had elections. We were told to vote early so Council 75 leadership would know if they had to pull anyone out of bed to vote. All four of us wanted to vote, we could have voted in a block vote but we so wanted the privilege we were sent to do! So we each carried equal shares of YOUR votes.

We later learned it had been estimated that Lee Sanders would win by 200,000 to 150,000 votes.  Out of the 1,330,997 votes represented at the convention 1,302,505 votes were cast. Lee Saunders received 652,660 votes (50.1%) Danny Donohue received 648,356 votes (49.8%) Mark Foley a last minute candidate 1,489 votes. So Lee Sanders won with a difference of only 4,304 votes! Obviously every single vote counted.

We were sad and heartbroken. But then Ken Allen Council 75, Executive Director and others told us this was just a start we were expected to lose, but by way bigger numbers and in two years Danny Donohue would be running for President. There is a change coming and we will be there! We are saving our Donohue shirts and our Donohue pins and we will be a force to be reckoned with in two years in Los Angeles!!!!!!!!!

On day five, Friday, we got back to the business of the convention.  During the week there were over 70 Resolutions and 1 Amendment that was discussed, debated and voted on.  Convention is always full of long days but it is a fun learning experience.

We enjoyed representing Oregon Child Care Provider?s Together Local 132 in our second convention as a local!

In Solidarity,
Autumn David, Enid Hall, Sue Mackey and Shanna Aldis