AFGE’s July Membership Numbers Remain Strong with 3,337 New Members
August 16, 2021
Categories:
The Insider, Organizing
3,337 new members joined the AFGE family in July – nearly another record-setting month!
Locals and councils are working hard to keep the momentum going, and, while we didn’t have a net positive month in July because of an unusually high number of drops, the overall outlook for AFGE’s organizing program is still strong.
“The long-term picture (and even the medium-term picture) is one of a federation on the move and getting back to growth,” said AFGE Director of Membership and Organization Dave Cann. “We have seen more activity, engagement, and excitement than I recall having seen in my eight years with AFGE, and folks are excited about building power again.”
“The union is behind all of these”
Local 2222 representing Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) in New York had the highest number of new members organized in July – 86.
Local 2222 President Hydrick Thomas, who is also president of AFGE Council 100 representing TSOs across the country, was excited to learn about this great news.
At all new employee orientations and membership meetings, he tells every officer that comes in about our union’s recent victories, including new Title 5 worker rights, and member benefits like scholarships and dental plans.
“I always tell them: The union is behind all of these. Nothing was given,” he explained.
Thomas particularly enjoys talking to young officers, many of whom don’t know a lot about unions. He tells them about the creation of TSA after Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and how AFGE has worked hard to get full Title 5 workplace rights for TSOs since the very beginning.
Thomas joined TSA in 2002 shortly after the agency was created. He became local president in 2008 and council president 10 years later.
With expanded workplace rights, Thomas said more people are joining TSA. Those who left to work for other federal agencies are also coming back.
Things are also a lot different now. Union officers, for example, are given more hours to help TSA employees handle workplace issues so they can focus on their work. The local is fully organizing again as opposed to before when TSA was not really hiring during the Trump administration.
Asked about organizing tips, Thomas said:
- Always walk in with business cards so people can reach you any time. This is great representation. He once got a phone call at 3:42 a.m. from a member working night shift who was just called into the office by management and needed union representation.
- Wear your union shirt and tell people why it’s important to become a union member. Thomas regularly downloads organizing literature from AFGE’s website to help with his organizing.
Excited to help grow our union?
Check out AFGE’s NOW page for organizing resources.
