Important Vote For Oregon AFSCME: Privacy Protection Vote
Oregon AFSCME will be conducting a state-wide vote to change the Union's corporate status under Oregon law. Here is what this change will do.
- Protect the privacy of members' personal information
- Better reflect the current operations of our Union
- Strengthen our Union's ability to defend against attacks by anti-union groups like the Freedom Foundation
- It won't change member's rights to govern and control their own Union
Look for your ballot in the mail and please return it postmarked no later than January 27.
Background
Since the early 1980s, AFSCME has been registered as a non-profit corporation under ORS Chapter 65, which is designed for traditional corporations and isn't really designed with labor organizations in mind. A lot has changed in the past 40 years in terms of the law, technology, and the interests of the workers that AFSCME represents. We need to update our status to reflect what the current membership needs to protect private private information.
I am voting YES to change our corporate status because it's important to protect our union members from invasion of their privacy and from harassment from anti-union groups. Additionally, as a Corrections Employee, I know it's vital to secure our personal information to protect ourselves and our families." - Jack Stone, AFSCME Local 405
What is the problem with our current corporate status?
The single biggest problem has to do with protecting the privacy of Oregon AFSCME members' personal information. ORS Chapter 65 requires the production of member names and addresses to any member who requests the information, subject to certain limitations. This requirement potentially conflicts with our duty to keep worker information confidential and with the policies that have been adopted by member leadership. This is especially problematic for AFSCME-represented workers for whom privacy is a critical safety issue: law enforcement officers; correctional officers; probation officers; state attorneys; public defenders; domestic violence victims; stalking victims.
Changing Oregon AFSCME to an unincorporated association will enable our Union to protect your private information.
What it will not change
As a union member, you would continue to have the right to vote to ratify your contract, strike, elect officers, campaign for union office, and any other rights you currently have under the Union's bylaws, governing documents, and state and federal law.
Tell us what you think!
We can only accept and keep comments from members of AFSCME locals. All comments must include your first and last name and local number. Local members may post up to one comment per day. Please read the statement below before submitting your comment.
I understand that only local members are allowed to comment. By submitting a comment, I am attesting that I am a member of a local in AFSCME Council 75.