The Policy Action Committee of the 77th National Convention moves the following plan of action in the period up to the next national convention.
UE Leadership and Staff Development Program
- All locals are called upon to take part in the membership surveys that the national union will be launching in order to better assess the diversity of the workers that we represent. The national union shall work with the locals in providing the materials in the appropriate languages for the surveys. All locals are expected to return the completed surveys within the deadline provided.
Independent Rank-and-File Political Action
- Locals should provide information on voter registration to all of their members and their families, and encourage participation in the upcoming 2022 elections;
- Locals should educate their members on the issues and candidates in their area, particularly to their impact on workers and their unions. Locals should also invite candidates to local membership meetings;
- The national union should provide written materials (both physical and electronic) to support the work of the locals as appropriate;
- Locals should encourage members to involve themselves in local political action in support of working-class issues and candidates, including political action and community events;
- Locals should make use of newsletters, fliers, texts, videos and social media;
- Locals and regions are encouraged to actively engage in local independent political action to ensure that all people are able to exercise the right to vote, including contacting their elected officials to oppose any voter suppression efforts.
Medicare for All
- Calls on locals to educate their members on Medicare for All, including using the UE’s “How to Fix Healthcare” workshop and the UE Healthcare Cost Calculator;
- Calls on locals to mobilize their members to demand their elected officials enact legislation at the state and federal level for Medicare for All, and expand and improve Medicare and VA benefits;
- Locals and regions should join local coalitions to carry out public actions in person and online for Medicare for All;
- Locals should encourage their members to support the National Nurses United campaign for Medicare for All;
- Locals should demand their employers support Medicare for All, including at contract negotiations;
- Calls on locals to educate their members who are veterans to best make use of VA benefits, including communicating where veterans can go for assistance.