What do you think? Comment on the SEIU 1021 Two-Year Plan.

Published on November 11th 2011

These are hard times.

We need a plan to champion public services and quality jobs.

What are your ideas?

Our Executive Board is working on a Two-Year Plan for to meet the challenges we face at our jobs in and our communities over the next two years. Delegates from every Chapter of our local will vote on this plan at the first-ever Local 1021 Convention in February 2012.

Here is a framework for creating our two-year plan. What do you think about these ideas? What would you add, change, or do differently?

#1 – How can we build workplace strength to champion jobs and services?

Our power comes from our strength in the workplace. We know best what services the public needs and demands. Through workplace strength we can fight attempts to degrade services and protect jobs.

What ideas do you have to build a stronger union at your worksite? What can you and your co-workers do? What can the rest of the union do to support you?

#2 – How can we be stronger at the bargaining table to preserve jobs and services?

Bargaining is an occasion when more members can get active. Active, informed, and organized members are stronger at the bargaining table and better able to keep up pressure on management.

What do you think would make us more powerful at the bargaining table? What resources and assistance do you and your co-workers need to win at the table in this economic and political environment? How can we use the power of our size and relationships in bargaining?

#3 – How can we work with community and union allies to champion jobs and services?

We provide services everybody needs: roads, public transport, medical care, education, justice, protection for our families, water, sewage, and garbage disposal, parks and open spaces.

How can we connect our struggle for quality jobs to the struggles most working families are going through? Should we make it our priority to reach out to community groups, faith-based organizations, other unions, and the people we serve?

#4 – Building union density: Should we organize the unorganized?

In 2010, unions represented only 11.9% of all workers. Only 6.9% of private sector workers are organized – the lowest in a century. Organizing more public and private sector workers into unions can help maintain quality jobs and strong government support for the services we provide.

Should organizing new members into our union be a key part of our strategy to champion our jobs and the people we serve?

#5 – What can we do to support genuinely pro-worker candidates & keep them honest?

We must make sure that legislators we help elect, many of whom become our bosses, represent the interests of regular people instead of banks or big businesses.

How important is it to you that union members have a strong voice in our political process? How can we identify candidates to support who are strongly pro-labor? How can we hold these people accountable once they get elected?

#6 – What are ways we can fight for a fair economy to expand and improve quality jobs and services?

There is a growing movement in this country to challenge the unfair tax and funding policies that result in cutting vital services. Campaigns to Tax the Rich and close tax loopholes will create revenue to pay for services and good jobs.

What kind of ballot measures could we support that make corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share? Should we continue our activism at the local level to hold banks and Wall Street accountable for our broken economy?

Please share your ideas and opinions for the Two-Year Plan.

You can weigh on the discussion at a Chapter meeting, an Industry or Committee meeting, by talking with an Executive Board member one-on-one, or by commenting online at www.1021Convention.org.