BAC 'in the House' at 2013 AFL-CIO Convention

JOURNAL: ISSUE 3 - 2013

BAC President James Boland, center, backed by members of the Committee on Community Partnerships and Grassroots Power, speaks in support of Resolution 16 to build enduring laborcommunity coalitions. The Resolution was adopted unanimously. Boland, who co-chaired the Committee, is shown here with BAC delegates and Committee members Tyler Simpson, immediately behind Boland, and Laurie Harris, far right, both of Local 3 CA.

The 27th quadrennial AFL-CIO Convention brought labor and community allies together in Los Angeles to build a new path forward for America's working families on September 8-11th. More than a thousand delegates from the Federation's affiliated unions were joined by as many community partner representatives to discuss a full range of issues including strategies for strengthening grassroots activism, political action, common sense immigration reform, organizing locally and globally, worker safety, and creating a more diverse labor movement.

The BAC delegation included the four members of the International's Executive Board, Local 3 California President David Jackson and members Laurie Harris and Tyler Simpson, Local 4 California President Richard Whitney, Local 13 Nevada President Carlos Aquin, Local 18 California President Chad Boggio, Local 1 Hawaii Business Manager Nolan Moriwaki, and BAC Regional Representative Ernest Adame.

Delegates adopted resolutions on shared prosperity and job creation, economic fairness, retirement security, and safe working conditions, heard from speakers such as newly confirmed Department of Labor Secretary Tom Perez, and attended educational workshops. During consideration of Resolution 13:Safe Jobs – Every Worker's Right, BAC President James Boland made an impassioned plea to the AFL-CIO and its affiliates unions to join BAC in coordinating the fight to ensure final adoption of OSHA's proposed silica rule. (See related features on pages 1 and 14 of the BAC Journal Issue 3 - 2013).

BAC delegates and members at the 2013 AFL-CIO Convention. First row from left, BAC Organizing Director Steve Nelms, Local 18 CA President Chad Boggio, Local 13 NV President Carlos Aquin, BAC Secretary-Treasurer Henry Kramer, Local 1 HI Business Manager Nolan Moriwaki, and BAC Regional Representative Ernest Adame. Center row from left, Local 3 CA President Dave Jackson and wife Marcia, Local 3 CA members Tyler Simpson and Laurie Harris, and BAC Executive Vice President Gerald Scarano. Top row from left, BAC Executive Vice President Tim Driscoll, President James Boland, and Director of Collective Bargaining Michael Di Virgilio. Not pictured is Local 4 CA President Richard Whitney.

Convention delegates also re-elected AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler to serve another four-year term. Completing the leadership team was the election of former Orange County Labor Federation Executive Director Tefere Gebre as Executive Vice President to succeed the retired Arlene Holt Baker. Gebre served alongside President Boland in the months leading up to the Convention as the two served as co-chairs of the convention's Community Partnerships and Grassroots Action Committee.