2024 AFSCME International Convention

That's a Wrap! | AFSCME 46th Convention

Last week, AFSCME members from across the country met in Los Angeles for our 46th convention. AFSCME International holds conventions every two years, where members elect our union's leaders and pass resolutions that set our priorities. The theme of this year's convention, Fearless, embodies who we are as AFSCME. When we are motivated,  even an earthquake cannot slow us down. 

Want to see all the news, pictures, and video from the 2024 AFSCME International Convention? Check it out here: https://convention.afscme.org/


Governor Tim Walz

Gov. Tim Walz at AFSCME's 46th International Convention

In his first solo campaign event as Harris’ running mate, Walz delivered a rousing speech to more than 4,000 AFSCME members attending the convention in Los Angeles. 

“Vice President Harris has gone to work every single day to make sure families don’t just get by but get ahead. She’s always stood on the side of the American worker, stood up to billionaires and fought corporate greed, led this administration’s historic work to eliminate barriers to organizing,” Walz said. “And let’s not forget, she cast a tie-breaking vote for the American Rescue Plan to keep public service workers on the job during the pandemic.”

Walz and Harris are committed to signing into law two bills that are top AFSCME priorities — the PRO (Protecting the Right to Organize) Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act.  

“Tim is more than an ally,” said AFSCME President Saunders. “He understands us because he is one of us — a union brother who spent years as a public service worker in his community. He embodies the very best of public service — leading with empathy, looking after everyone, and leaving behind no one. He’s a stand-up guy, absolute salt of the earth. And come next January, he will bring his decency and common sense to the White House.”  

AFSCME’s International Executive Board unanimously endorsed Harris on July 22, one day after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed Harris.  

Leadership Elections

Shannon Douvier Takes the Oath of Office as Our AFSCME IVP

North-Central Region IVP
Shannon Douvier

AFSCME is built on democratic principles where members are in the driver's seat and elect our leaders. At this year's convention, delegates re-elected President Lee Saunders and Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride.

Delegates from Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota also re-elected Shannon Douvier as our International Vice-President for the North Central Region. 

In total 33 International-Vice Presidents were sworn in at the convention.

Click here to see AFSCME's full leadership. 

Rally For University Workers

Delegates joined University of California hospital and service workers at a massive rally for a fair contract. The UC workers — 30,000 of whom make up AFSCME Local 3299 — were joined by thousands of fellow AFSCME members from across the country who are in Los Angeles for the union’s 46th international convention. National labor leaders, including AFSCME President Lee Saunders and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, were in attendance and delivered remarks urging UC to invest in their essential workforce.

President Saunders' Keynote Address



“They all want the strength and security of belonging to something bigger than themselves,” Saunders said of workers who recently organized with AFSCME. “And they are choosing AFSCME because they know we are the union for public service workers. Organizing remains our most important responsibility. Whether it’s reaching out externally to unrepresented workers or adding members internally from existing bargaining units, we must all do this work every single day.” 
 
AFSCME’s organizing wins over the past two years have been matched by our union’s successes at the bargaining table — despite, Saunders noted, a pandemic that could have devastated us and a Supreme Court case that made the entire public sector right to work. 
 
“We have negotiated groundbreaking contracts in the last few years, some of our best in generations,” Saunders said. “And we couldn’t have done it without the blast of federal aid received by states, cities, towns and schools from the American Rescue Plan.” 
 
AFSCME, Saunders said, is more powerful than any time in decades. 


Resolutions


At it's core, AFSCME is a democratic organization. That is why at each convention, delegates pass important resolutions setting our agenda and priorities. These resolutions reflect our union's mission, power and diversity. This year, delegates approved 45 resolutions on a wide range of subjects including:

Click here for all resolutions from the 2024 AFSCME International Convention. 

Full 2024 AFSCME International Convention Website