LOS ANGELES, CA – The highest two leaders of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers (AFSCME), the nation’s main public service union, have been reelected Tuesday, Aug. 13, to four-year phrases.
Delegates reelected President Lee Saunders and Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride by acclamation on the second day of the forty sixth AFSCME Worldwide Conference being held right here.
“I’m full of gratitude that AFSCME members have positioned their confidence in me to steer our nice union for an additional time period,” mentioned Saunders, who was first elected president in June 2012.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the work we’ve got performed collectively — the dynamic organizing, the surge in member activism, the record-setting contracts, the grassroots lobbying, the daring political motion and extra,” added Saunders, who started working for AFSCME in 1978 as a labor economist.
Saunders mentioned he is able to lead AFSCME members, who’re fired as much as win the battles that lie forward and write the subsequent chapter within the union’s historical past.
“We’re prepared within the coming years to maintain preventing and successful — beginning this fall after we will make the distinction on this high-stakes presidential election. I’m excited to work with all 1.4 million AFSCME members — the strongest, most fearless individuals I do know — to grab the promising alternatives earlier than us and launch the subsequent nice period in AFSCME’s historical past,” he mentioned.
McBride, who joined AFSCME because the director of training and management coaching in 2001 and started her service as secretary-treasurer in 2017, expressed her gratitude to members for believing in her.
“Thanks for the chance to proceed to function your secretary-treasurer, for the arrogance you’ve proven in me on this function, and for the solidarity we present with one another daily,” McBride mentioned. “In partnership with President Saunders, I’m dedicated to main our union with integrity, with ardour, and with accountability to all of you. And I’ll do all the things I can to proceed to construct robust native unions with all of you.”
