WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Pictured above, Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) President Richard Lipsitz (on the left) and American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) National President Lee Saunders take a moment to pose for a photo for WNYLaborToday.com at the 2017 WNYALF Appreciation Awards Dinner that was held on Wednesday, May 3rd at the Downtown Buffalo Hyatt Hotel, where more than 500 area Labor Leaders, Unionists, Elected Leaders and Friends of Labor were in attendance to listen to an array of Labor Leaders from across Western New York, New York State and the Nation.   (WNYLaborToday.com Photo)

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - “We are in a moment of ‘unique’ attack,” American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) President Lee Saunders told the more than 500 area Labor Leaders, Unionists, Elected Leaders and Friends of Labor who attended the 2017 Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) Appreciation Awards Dinner in Downtown Buffalo, adding: “But when the Labor Movement ‘fights,’ the Labor Movement ‘wins.’  ‘So, are you ready to engage in battle?’  ‘Are you ready to kick some ass?’”

Saunders didn’t have long to wait for an answer as the crowd immediately stood to give him a thunderous ovation – a fitting climax for an evening that honored Western New York Labor and its Membership, celebrated the many Union victories that have occurred over the past 12 months, recognized both what went right and what has gone wrong with the Labor Movement, and finally, a pledge to do what now must be done to reconnect with individual Union Members, harness the anger that has come from those who do not agree with the new president, and chart a path to more victories for Working People - both Union and Non-Union.

“We must have an ‘honest’ discussion ‘where we are as a movement’ as Working Families are ‘under attack across the country.’  This is a ‘moment’ of ‘unique challenges’ to ‘all’ Working Families,” said Saunders, whose Nationwide Union represents 1.6 million Public Employees.  “Our ‘values are under such attack and assault by those who want to demonize and scapegoat us’ – ‘under the belt attacks so they can take more power and wealth for themselves.’  They want to ‘take us out of the ballgame, put a bullseye on our backs, across the country.’”

“We’ve got to be ‘vigilant.’  We’ve got a new president ‘who made a lot of promises to support Working Families across the country.’  We ‘can’t take the position to oppose him on everything, but if he cannot walk the walk and talk the talk – then we need to raise hell.’  ‘It’s up to all of us.’  ‘Are we bold enough to make the necessary changes?’  ‘We have been reluctant (in the past) to make changes.’  Trump is in the White House ‘because we lost our connection with many of our Members.’  We ‘stopped listening’ and ‘as a result, they stopped listening (to Union Leadership) too.’  ‘We stopped communicating too.’  ‘Now, we need some tough love.’  ‘We need to evaluate our Unions - what we did right and what we did wrong.’  ‘We need to ask ourselves some tough questions - from soup to nuts,’” Saunders (Pictured Below/WNYLaborToday.com) told those at the dinner.

Saunders then began to tell a story of how great a car the 1957 Chevy was.  “It was ‘cutting edge for its time, but now - it’s an antique,’” he said.  “Our Members have ‘changed.’  ‘This is not rocket science.’  (AFSCME) started ‘grassroots organizing, talking to our Members’ – ‘one on one, seeking their ideas and advice.’  We ‘set a goal’ of talking to one million of our Members and almost two years later, we’ve spoken to (620,000) – ‘and after we reach one million, we’ll raise the bar and do more.’  ‘We want to know what they want out of their Union, their lives.’  This is ‘absolutely essential because we want them to join us in our struggles.’  ‘And this is not a one size fits all conversation.’  ‘We want to thank them for the work they do for what they’ve achieved.’”

Saunders also said it is time for Unions to “change the way we do business.”  “We ‘don’t have a choice,’” he said.  “We ‘don’t have all the answers, but collectively (with all Unions), we can come up with the answers.’”

The AFSCME President also discussed what the National AFL-CIO has done in order to “confront the realities” in terms of its budget and thus restructure accordingly: “This will lead to a ‘more nimble’ AFL-CIO ‘to rise to the challenges we face.’  The Trump Presidency has ‘provided all with a new awakening.’  The Labor Movement ‘has never done it alone.’  ‘We must work with our community partners.’  People are ‘agitated and they are mobilizing.’  We ‘have to march and hold rallies and bring people together.’  ‘Can we turn this anger into action?’  ‘Can we make the necessary changes in the House of Labor?’  ‘I believe we can, but all of us must be committed to change.’  ‘Our enemies will try to drive a wedge between us’ - Public and Private Sectors and the Building Trades.  ‘We cannot let that happen.’  ‘We’ve got to come together and fight like never before.’  ‘We must hold fast our values that have sustained us.’  ‘I’m damn proud to be a Union Member and no one will ever take that away from me.’  ‘It is worth fighting for.’  ‘We are proud and resilient - together.’  There is an ‘old saying’ - ‘When Labor fights, Labor wins!’  ‘Are you going to engage in battle?’  ‘Let’s kick some ass!’”

New York State AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Terry Melvin (Pictured Below/WNYLaborToday.com), who is from the Buffalo area, paid the Western New York Labor Movement a high compliment, saying: “I’m from Western New York.  I live in Western New York.  We have been the ‘head’ of the Labor Movement in New York State.  ‘When something progressive happens, it comes out of Buffalo/Western New York.’”

“Currently, we are in position where ‘we are playing pure defense.’  ‘We are all in a fight-back mode, not just Labor - which is fighting to exist.’  ‘We all have the same enemy.’  ‘I think we need to applaud (45 – Trump).’  ‘He has lost his mind.’  ‘This is the individual who is going to bring back the Labor Movement to where it needs to be.’  ‘I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.’  ‘I’m going to fight back.’  And I’m ‘not alone’ - ‘a majority of the country has a reason to stand up.’  (Trump) ‘doesn’t know how much a quart of milk or a loaf of bread costs.’  ‘We need to get off our asses.’  ‘We shall struggle and we will lose some battles – but we will be victorious.’  ‘If not me, then who?’  ‘If not now, when?’  ‘The time is now!’  ‘We need to take back what is ours!’  ‘We must move forward like never before!,’” Melvin said.

During the dinner, the WNYALF’s individual Labor Councils presented awards to an individual in their geographic location, with the Buffalo Council presenting awards to Teamster Local 264’s Tony Vaccaro and IUPAT/District Council 4’s William Mayer for the roles they’ve recently played in several Union-sponsored charity/community efforts, including the Variety Club Telethon to aid Buffalo’s Children’s Hospital; the Niagara-Orleans Council’s award recognizing United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9436 President Jeffery Soos; the Dunkirk Labor Council’s award to New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Local 2190/United University Professions (UUP) Fredonia Chapter Retiree Member Tom Morrissey; the Jamestown Labor Council’s award to Chautauqua County Health Department Inspector Jim Kurtz; and the Cattaraugus-Allegany Council’s award to Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Local 805’s Rose Teachman.

The WNYALF also presented its annual Activists of the Year Award to the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which in 2016 registered some of its most impressive Union victories ever - including CWA’s win for new contract that involved a major 40,000 Worker Strike up and down the East Coast at Verizon and a massive 18-month-long Community Campaign impacting 3,500 Workers employed at Catholic Health across the area that ended in a spectacularly successful new contract.

“This award ‘belongs to them all,’” CWA District One Area Director Deb Hayes (Pictured Below/WNYLaborToday.com Photo), with an array of CWA Local Representatives standing behind her up on the stage, told those at the dinner. “These are ‘the people who did the job.’  ‘They’ picketed.  ‘They’ handed out fliers.  ‘They’ bargained for hours and hours and hours.  This is a ‘Membership’ story.”