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31-739: Richard Rothstein is an American academic and author affiliated with the Economic Policy Institute , and a senior fellow (emeritus) at the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund . His current research focuses on the history of segregation in the United States with regards to education and housing . From 1999 until 2002, Rothstein was the national education columnist for The New York Times . and had been

62-450: A March 2020 policy paper, it argued that the loss of jobs in the insurance industry and in administering the current system would be small, within the normal job churn, and easily absorbed by the economy. The paper argued that this cost would be outweighed by the benefits of universal health care and in small business formation. EPI has also released policy papers analyzing U.S. investment in early childhood education. In July 2012, EPI and

93-584: A more militant form of unionization designed to achieve parity with private sector workers. During Wurf's tenure, AFSCME became known as a pioneer in aggressively recruiting women and black workers. In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated while in Memphis, Tennessee to support a strike by the African-American sanitation workers ' union, AFSCME Local 1733. By 1969, AFSCME

124-641: A senior fellow at the Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Law and Social Policy at the law school of the University of California, Berkeley until it closed in 2015. Rothstein was then affiliated with the Haas Institute at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law . His 2017 book, The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America , argues that racial housing segregation

155-458: A union president, secretary-treasurer and 35 regional vice presidents. Notable Secretary-Treasurers include Gordon Chapman (1937–1944, 1948–1961, 1962–1966), Joseph Ames (1966–1972) and William Lucy (1972–2010). Starting in the 2000s, AFSCME began campaigns to organize home-based family child care providers. In 2005, when Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich signed an executive order allowing home child care providers to collectively bargain with

186-502: Is a 501(c)(4) group. EPI was founded in 1986 by economists Jeff Faux , Lester Thurow , Ray Marshall , Barry Bluestone , Robert Reich , and Robert Kuttner . Since 2021, Heidi Shierholz has served as its president. Shierholz succeeded Thea Lee , who was named Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs at the Department of Labor by President Joe Biden . EPI supported Bernie Sanders 's Medicare for All proposal. In

217-713: Is documented through its archives at the Walter P. Reuther Library in Detroit, Michigan. In 1935, after meetings between Zander and AFL President William Green , AFSCME became a chapter within the American Federation of Government Employees . AFSCME received a separate charter from the AFL in 1936. In the 1930s, AFSCME was primarily a union for white-collar civil service workers, including librarians, social workers and clerical staff. These workers were legally without

248-609: Is part of the AFL–CIO , one of the two main labor federations in the United States. AFSCME has had four presidents since its founding. The union is known for its involvement in political campaigns, almost exclusively with the Democratic Party . AFSCME was one of the first groups to take advantage of the 2010 Citizens United decision, which allowed unions and corporations to directly finance ads that expressly call for

279-623: Is the result of government policy at all levels—federal, state, and local. Rothstein disagreed with the prevailing view affirmed by Supreme Court in the 1973 decision Miliken v. Bradley and a subsequent 2007 decision: that housing segregation is primarily the result of private racism and decisions. A review in The New York Times said that there was "no better history" of housing segregation, while Rachel Cohen of Slate called The Color of Law "essential." Economic Policy Institute EPI has an advocacy arm, EPI Action, which

310-484: The AFL–CIO , Center for Community Change , Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights , National Council of La Raza and SEIU proposed a budget plan titled Prosperity Economics , a counter to the Republican Party's Path to Prosperity budget plan. The Prosperity Economics plan suggests that major public investment in areas like infrastructure is needed to jump-start the economy. In response to

341-525: The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) after UNCF accepted a $ 25 million contribution from Charles and David Koch . Starting in 2003, AFSCME had supported UNCF with annual donations of $ 50,000–60,000. In 2012, AFSCME, SEIU , and the American Federation of Teachers agreed on a politics-only alliance for the 2012 national election campaign. In 2016, AFSCME and SEIU announced an extension of that agreement, leading to speculation about

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372-508: The University of California system. In 2007, AFSCME resolved a two-year dispute with the University of California that raised pay for the system's lowest paid workers. Since the late 1960s, AFSCME has become one of the most politicized unions in the AFL–CIO. Since 1972, AFSCME has been a primary force within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party , playing a major role in setting

403-554: The Wisconsin State Employees Association (WSEA), which was founded in Madison, Wisconsin , in 1932 to represent approximately 50 Wisconsin civil service employees. The WSEA was launched amid fears of politically based firings within the state, the possible elimination of the civil service and a return to patronage jobs. Arnold Zander , Wisconsin's state personnel administrator, emerged as one of

434-743: The debate over the United States fiscal cliff , EPI economist Josh Bivens advocated raising tax rates for higher income earners, writing: "Given this rise in [income] inequality, it makes sense that much of the future burden of reducing budget deficits should be borne by those who have benefited the most from economic trends in recent decades." Eight labor unions made a five-year funding pledge to EPI at its inception: AFSCME , United Auto Workers , United Steelworkers , United Mine Workers , International Association of Machinists , Communications Workers of America , Service Employees International Union , and United Food and Commercial Workers Union . According to EPI, about 29% of its funding between 2005 and 2009

465-502: The early leaders of the union. Soon after its formation, WSEA was granted an American Federation of Labor charter as Federal Labor Union 18213. One of its first projects was to protect civil service jobs in Wisconsin after a newly elected Democratic legislature revealed its intention to eliminate Republicans from the civil service. The group succeeded, with assistance from the American Federation of Labor (AFL). AFSCME's history

496-468: The election or defeat of a candidate. Major political issues for AFSCME include single-payer health care , protecting pension benefits, increasing the minimum wage , preventing the privatization of government jobs, and expanding unemployment benefits. AFSCME is divided into approximately 3,400 local unions in 46 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico . AFSCME was formed out of

527-435: The legislative agenda and in choosing Democratic presidential candidates. In the 1990s, AFSCME was the top U.S. donor to Bill Clinton . According to OpenSecrets , AFSCME is the United States' fifth largest organizational contributor to federal campaigns and parties, having donated more than $ 126 million since the 1990 election cycle. The organization contributes almost exclusively to Democratic Party campaigns; since 1990

558-411: The presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain . Until the 2010 Citizens United decision, funding for political campaigns came from voluntary contributions to a political action committee called AFSCME PEOPLE ("Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality"). With the loosening of restrictions by this Supreme Court case, AFSCME has widened its political funding base through

589-478: The ratio of Democratic to Republican contributions by the AFSCME has exceeded 99:1. In addition to combating privatization of public sector jobs, key political objectives for the group include raising the minimum wage and opposing the substitution of vacation time for overtime pay due workers. In June 2008, AFSCME, along with MoveOn.org , spent over US$ 500,000 on a television advertisement, Not Alex , critical of

620-459: The revival of police unionism in the late 1930s, organizing police officers and employees at correctional facilities. In 1964, Jerry Wurf defeated Zander as the union's international president. AFSCME was racially integrated in the 1960s under Wurf and began to grow more quickly. Under Wurf, who initiated the most aggressive unionizing campaign in the organization's history, AFSCME broke from earlier patterns of civil service reform and initiated

651-447: The right to collectively bargain , let alone strike —rights which Zander did not support. The union grew slowly over the next several decades, gradually changing from an association formed to protect civil service systems to a union interested in collective bargaining . In August 1936, AFSCME had 119 locals with just under 4,000 members, expanding to 9,737 by the end of 1936. By 1940, AFSCME had nearly 30,000 members. AFSCME innovated

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682-559: The state, a turf war broke out between AFSCME and the Service Employees International Union for the exclusive right to organize them. SEIU filed charges with the AFL–CIO against AFSCME, resulting in SEIU winning the right to unionize Illinois's home healthcare workers and AFSCME dropping its bid to do so. AFSCME represents 24,000 custodians, food workers, gardeners, and other campus service workers in

713-460: The tobacco industry's bottom line if passed. AFSCME The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees ( AFSCME ) is the largest trade union of public employees in the United States. It represents 1.3 million public sector employees and retirees, including health care workers, corrections officers, sanitation workers, police officers, firefighters, and childcare providers. Founded in Madison, Wisconsin , in 1932, AFSCME

744-557: The union has approximately 3,400 local unions and 58 councils and affiliates in 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Every local union writes its own constitution, designs its own structure, elects its own officers and sets its own dues. The Washington, D.C.–based AFSCME headquarters coordinates the union's actions on national political and policy issues. AFSCME holds a biennial International Convention at which basic union policies are decided. Every four years, AFSCME elects

775-475: The use of member dues. AFSCME is not required to publicly disclose the identity of its donors, or the size of their contributions. AFSCME was the biggest outside spender in the 2010 midterm elections, spending a total of $ 87.5 million in support of Democratic Party candidates. AFSCME led the failed 2012 recall effort against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker . In 2014, AFSCME cut ties with

806-525: The votes and was re-elected without opposition in July 2016. Previously, Saunders had been elected as secretary-treasurer in 2010 after Bill Lucy retired. During Saunders' tenure, the union has increased its membership and its political involvement. Reyes stepped down as secretary-treasurer in 2017. AFSCME's International Executive Board elected Elissa McBride to the position in March 2017. According to AFSCME,

837-496: Was elected president of AFSCME following Wurf's death in 1981. AFSCME continued to grow in the 1980s, unionizing university employees and nursing home staff and merging with other unions. In 1982, the union voted to endorse the passage of federal, state, and local legislation to extend civil rights to gay and lesbian citizens. In 1989, a third of the locals and the headquarters of the dissolving National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees (NUHHCE) joined AFSCME. In 1992, AFSCME

868-500: Was paid a gross salary of $ 1,020,751 in 2012, his last year on the job. McEntee's use of $ 325,000 in union money to charter private jets in 2010 and 2011 became an issue in the campaign to succeed him. At the 2012 AFSCME Convention in Los Angeles , Lee Saunders was elected president of AFSCME. Laura Reyes was elected secretary-treasurer. Saunders defeated Civil Service Employees Association president Danny Donohue with 54% of

899-496: Was supplied by labor unions and about 53% came from foundation grants. In the 1980s, EPI took money from the Tobacco Institute , a now-defunct tobacco industry trade group, to oppose excise taxes on the tobacco industry's behalf. The Tobacco Institute worked with groups like EPI "to support the release of studies, editorials, press briefings, and testimony against regressive excise taxes" that would negatively impact

930-558: Was the first national union to back Bill Clinton in his presidential bid. AFSCME led an effort to oppose Clinton's signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement . In the late 1990s, AFSCME expanded its membership into Puerto Rico and Panama. The union was an early supporter of Barack Obama 's 2008 presidential campaign. In 2011, McEntee announced his intention to retire from the union, declining to run for another term as president in 2012. McEntee

961-622: Was unionizing 1,000 new workers each day. The organization saw its greatest period of growth in the 1970s. In 1973, AFSCME concluded a three-year organizing campaign of 75,000 Pennsylvania employees. It was the largest organizing campaign in U.S. labor history. During Wurf's presidency, AFSCME's membership grew from 200,000 to approximately one million. The union eclipsed the one-million-member mark in 1978. AFSCME set up its first political action committee in 1971. AFSCME supported George McGovern 's 1972 presidential bid as well as Jimmy Carter 's successful presidential bid in 1976. Gerald McEntee

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