Speeches

Prepared Remarks of
Gerald W. McEntee
AFSCME International President
OCSEA AFSCME Local 11 Building Union Power  Conference
Columbus, Ohio
April 22, 2006

Thank you, Ron, for once more giving me a great introduction.  And for being such a fine leader here in Ohio.  Someone we can always count on, like the man we just heard from, a true friend of labor and the next U.S. Senator from Ohio, the Honorable Sherrod Brown. 

Good morning to all my AFSCME sisters and brothers out there.  It’s great to be here with you in Columbus today.  I want to congratulate each and every one of you on getting such a fine contract.  In these days of anti-labor, anti-benefits, anti-pay increases, you have managed to tip the balance.  So your giant win is something we should hold up to all our members as we work for better job security, job compensation and job benefits.

I’ll tell you honestly – and you could use some honesty in your state – my first thought about coming back to Ohio was that I should bring a blue flag and plant it right here in the capital city.  It would be a really large flag so there would be no doubt in anyone’s mind that we were going to take back Ohio from the corrupt, anti-working family Republicans who think they own this state. 

And right next to that blue flag, I’d plant a big green one to let them know that AFSCME’s in the house and we’re going to be in the Ohio House, the Ohio Senate and the governor’s mansion.  We’re going to have a worker-friendly Secretary of State, Attorney General.  And without a doubt, we’re going to bring home the 2008 election for President and get this country on the road to recovery.  Let’s not forget getting the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate back in the People’s column too.

We can follow President Bush and Vice President Cheney’s example and “leak” this news:  When we fight, we win.  And we intend to fight big and win big!

It’s all going to start right here in your state.  It’s all going to start with you, the loyal members of OCSEA.  It’s all going to start now!  Are you with me Sisters and Brothers?  Let me hear you – are you with me?  We’ve got to get pumped up, stay pumped up and get everyone in this state pumped up.  Because we care about each and every American while the bums in Washington and in Columbus only care about rich corporations and the wealthy.

That’s not what being in a union is about.  Never has been.  Never will be.  From George Bush to Bob Taft, these people are playing foot loose and fancy free with our money, our jobs and our country.  And we need to work together to stop them now.

Just look at what’s happening right here in Ohio.  Ohio, where the number of the pay-to-play schemes have hit an all-time high and honesty an all-time low.  Your Governor was indicted for ethics violations.  The Ohio Supreme Court may take away his law license.  No wonder his ratings are in the gutter.  Bob Taft should be ashamed of himself.  I know the rest of us are.

The two Republican contenders for the governor’s seat aren’t any better.  There’s Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. In the 2004 elections, his ridiculous demand for 80-pound stock for voter registration forms created a backlog.  His strict interpretation of provisional ballots resulted in tens of thousands of them never being counted. 

He’s ready to reintroduce TABOR, what the right wing calls the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.  This time they’ve come up with a new name TEL, the Tax Expenditure Limit.  Whatever they call it, it puts state government in a financial straight jacket.  It would force cuts in vital services – health care, education, retirement security.  And to add insult to injury, it would punish public servants – our benefits, our jobs. 

Now Blackwell is trying to tie up the election by peddling Diebold voting machines.  Practically requiring them in some counties.  And guess what?  He owns shares of the company’s stock. Does he think the voters of Ohio are all suckers!  Heard enough?  Had enough?  My advice to you:  Don’t let this guy anywhere near the door of your governor’s mansion! 

Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro [pronounced:  PEE-tro] is the other Republican candidate for Governor.  He wants to cut 11,000 state workers.  Plus he took his own sweet time in dealing with the Tom Noe [pronounced:  NO-ee] coin scandal.  You remember that nightmare . . . stealing at least $1 million from a $50 million investment in rare coins he managed – did I say “managed”?  Mis-managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.  He’s been indicted on 53 felonies.  Stay tuned for his trial in August.  

So my friends, the winning team of Ted Strickland for governor and Lee Fisher for Lt. Governor will definitely improve state government and put honesty back where it belongs.  They are pro-worker friends, and we’re ready to stand by them, elect them and hold them accountable.

There are several other races we need to work hard on.  Our friend U.S. Representative Sherrod Brown (D-13) is challenging Senator Mike DeWine.  While the polls are saying it’s close, there’s no comparison between an honest representative of our concerns like Sherrod Brown and an anti-worker arch enemy like Mike DeWine. 

Sherrod Brown has devoted his life to fighting for working families.  He’s stepped up to the plate on increasing minimum wage, overtime and collective bargaining.  He’s said “no” to draconian cuts to education, health care and food stamps.  He co-sponsored legislation to keep prisons publicly run.

Meanwhile DeWine was a key architect of the mess the administration put together, the Medicare drug plan.  He’s for cutting college loans and health care so that the wealthiest Americans get tax breaks.  He’s basically a George Bush Clone.

So Sisters and Brothers, it’s plain to see why we need to work like hell for Sherrod Brown and tell DeWine to get the hell out of Dodge. 
Our friend Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy is up against friend-of-George Congresswoman Deborah Pryce in the 15th District.  And you just heard from a fine candidate, Richard Cordray who is running for State Treasurer.  Let’s put the might of OCSEA behind all our friends this November and defeat our enemies.

Meanwhile, on the national level, there’s only one way to change the politics of corruption, the politics of special interests and the politics of the powerful over the people. The cost of this corruption has been too steep.  We need to elect enough Democrats to reach the 218 majority number so we can elect Nancy Pelosi SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE!

Anyone looking at recent polls can tell that those 15 seats we need to win to take back the House are within reach.  But we’ve got to fight – and fight hard.

As far as the Senate, it’s a bigger challenge.  But if we can pick up six seats for the Democrats and if the Independent seat that Jim Jeffords of Vermont is retiring from goes to the favorite Bernie Sanders, then there’s a chance we could get the majority over to our column.

We need to talk to voters about the GOP’s risky retirement plan, the 46 million Americans they’ve left without health insurance and their tax cuts for the wealthy paid for by cuts in vital programs for the rest of us, such as veterans’ benefits, education, child care and Medicare. 

We need to get out the word on the cost of their corruption, dishonesty, and get-rich-quick schemes.  If we do this, then we can and we will take back Congress in 2006.

The 2006 election is a referendum on what kind of country we want to live in.  That’s why now more than ever, we need to make our voices and the voices of all working families heard – in the halls of Congress and throughout this great land. 

What happens this November will set the stage for the Presidential election of 2008, and that’s all the more reason for us to hold anti-worker politicians accountable starting now.
They’ve attacked us enough.  They’ve turned back the clock enough.  They’ve damaged our country enough.  Have you had enough?  Then let’s work together and show them the door!
We need some “OCSEA Magic.”  Right here.  Right now.  Because we know:  When we fight, we win.

To win and win big throughout the country, we’ve got to do many things differently. That’s why AFSCME’s 36th International Convention created the 21st Century Committee – to examine our union from top to bottom and make recommendations for change.

When the delegates convene at the next International Convention in Chicago, they’ll be looking at how to shape the future of this union.  They’ll be looking at how to recommit to organizing, political action and high performance.  So we can increase our numbers, increase our clout at the bargaining table, increase our power in the halls of Congress.  If we don’t, the labor movement may not have a future. 

I know this sounds bleak, and you’ve heard the doom and gloom predictions before.  However, in all my years in labor, I’ve never seen things so bad.

But the National union is actually following in OCSEA’s footsteps.  OCSEA should be recognized for what you’ve done as far as creating a strategic plan and sticking to it.  You are one of only a handful of councils that presently have a strategic plan – something you’ve had for years.  OCSEA has created clear-cut goals open for public review with benchmarks and standards.  Congratulations.

We need to follow your lead throughout this union.  And the 21st Century Initiative is about us having a strategic plan for the entire union, one that is transparent with built-in benchmarks and standards, just like yours.

Working from this premise that we need a new strategic plan, affiliate leaders from across our country developed one.  The International Executive Board endorsed it and this summer, the delegates at the 37th International Convention in Chicago will get to vote on it.  You were well-represented during the process with Ron Alexander on the Affiliate Capacity Subcommittee and Tim Schafer on the International Union Capacity Subcommittee.

You’ll hear more about it in the coming months from Ron and others, but I wanted to give you a sneak preview.

Our goals are straight forward: 

• We must get more members involved in our union. You know how it goes: There is usually a handful of folks who do all the work, and everybody else is on the sidelines. Well, we can’t afford to have people sitting back – we need everyone to step up. To help you get more sisters and brothers involved at every level, we’re going to do a lot of training and skill-building, including creating a leadership institute.

• We must hold politicians accountable. Let’s remember: If you’re a public employee in Ohio, it doesn’t matter what your job title is, we work for Governor Taft, both chambers of the legislature and the mayors and town councils and county commissioners.  That’s why we have to make sure these folks support us and that they do what they say they’ll do.

• We must increase our membership. Numbers give us the force to elect politicians who support us and to bargain the best possible contracts, like the one you just negotiated. The bigger we are, the more effective we can be. 

• We must make health care reform a top priority. More and more of our members are being forced to accept low or no wage increases just so they can keep their premiums manageable. We’re paying more and getting less. And that has to stop.  We have to advocate a clear policy for comprehensive reform and force politicians to take action.

• We must raise new resources. We can’t do any of the things I’ve mentioned – get more members involved; increase our political power; or reform health care – without taking that step.

One of the major goals to come out of the 21st Century Committee is to have every affiliate with 25 percent participation in PEOPLE at the MVP level, which is $100 per year in the next five years.  I want to congratulate OCSEA for the hard work you’ve already put into a plan to reach that goal.  In fact, are any of the committee members in the room?  If so, please stand so we can recognize your hard work.
 
Making this plan a reality won’t be easy, because let’s face it, it’s tough to change. But it would be even tougher to keep losing ground and suffering because of politicians like Taftand Blackwellwho want to take away our jobs, our benefits, our pensions and our kids’ futures. 

The 21st Century Initiative will help grow our union, get more members involved and increase our political power. With these successes will come even more success.

Remember what happened when we took on President Bush’s scheme to privatize Social Security?

We brought our fight to the people and targeted members of Congress. We got constituents to confront representatives on their home turf. We blazed new trails in aggressive grassroots and issue campaigning. And we showed what happens when you go up against AFSCME!

Now we are bound and determined to do it again – and again and again.  On every anti-worker issue they try to attack us with.  But we can only do it if we have the resources – people power and money power. 

Sisters and Brothers of the great state of Ohio, we have to strike when the iron is hot and that iron is real hot and ready for us to use.  The newest Washington Post-ABC News poll just found that only 38 percent of the public approves of Bush’s job.  Six in ten give him a thumbs-down on performance.  Six in ten gave him a thumbs-down on immigration reform.  Six in ten say the war was not worth the cost.  He’s down to 35 percent job approval in the new Harris Interactive poll.

What we’re hearing is bad news for the anti-working family Republicans and good news for the pro-working family Democrats as we get ready for elections that are about seven months away.

So I say, let’s go for it.  Give them everything we’ve got to win back this country.  Let’s use our Buckeye power. 

Now that the Republicans have fumbled the ball, let’s steal a play out of Woody Hayes’ book of great wins for the OSU football team and let’s pick up that ball and run it back . . . all the way back to a touch down in the November 2006 elections and then another touchdown in the November 2008 elections.  Go OCSEA!  Go AFSCME!  Go America!

Thank you and God bless you.  And God Bless this great land of ours – land of the free and home of the brave.  Remember:  When we fight, we win!