AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, is the nation's largest union of public employees, with over 1.3 million members. The New Jersey Council of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFSCME Council 73, is one of the 65 district councils that are affiliated with AFSCME international. Council 73's 10,000 affiliated members work for cities, counties, the State, the private sector and other local units of government.

In the AFSCME structure, local unions join together in Councils so that their Council can provide professional representation, administrative services, research, education and training and International resources to their members. AFSCME Council 73 was chartered by the International Union in 1971 to provide administrative and representational services to AFSCME Local Unions in Central New Jersey. Since then the Council has grown to represent more then 10,000 public and private sector workers in 66 Local Unions in New Jersey.

In addition to AFSCME Council 73, there are three other AFSCME Councils in New Jersey. AFSCME Council 52 represents members in North Jersey (201-435-0255). AFSCME Council 71 represents members in South Jersey (856-863-2600). AFSCME Council 1 is responsible for negotiating the contract that covers State employees in the health care and rehabilitation services unit. They are also responsible for handling grievances and disciplinary cases for these members once they go beyond the institutional level. Council's 73, 52 and 71 handle grievance and disciplinary cases for these members at the institutional level.

AFSCME Members Run Their Union: AFSCME
Council 73 members have a voice at all three
levels of the Union:

At the Local Level: Each local in Council 73 is a self-governing unit. Each has its own constitution, elects its own officers, and determines its own policies. Members of each local select their own negotiating committee, and vote to accept or reject proposed contracts.

At the Council Level: All of Council 73's officers and Executive Board members are public or private sector employees who hold full-time jobs in addition to their duties at the Council. Delegates representing every local in the Council elect the officers every four years at Council 73's convention. The convention also sets the Council's policies and priorities for the coming year.

At the National Level: Delegates to AFSCME's International Union convention elect AFSCME's International president, secretary-treasurer and regional vice-presidents every four years. International convention delegates, representing 3,000 local unions, also determine the policies and programs for the International union.

AFSCME services and resources for
Council 73 members

Council 73 members can utilize a wide variety of services developed specifically to meet the needs of employees in both the public and private sectors. The local union, the international union and Council 73 work together to provide AFSCME members with excellent representation through:

Local union officers and stewards: These local leaders, elected by their co-workers, provide the day-to-day representation on the job and the direction for the local union that AFSCME members rely on.

Council Representatives: Council 73's professional staff representatives work directly with local union leaders, assisting with grievances, disciplines and arbitrations, helping the local negotiating committee draft contract proposals, serving as chief negotiator, working with the local union on administrative questions and problems, representing the rights of the union and the individual AFSCME members before the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission (which enforces the laws governing labor/ management relations for New Jersey public employees), the National Labor Relations Board (which enforces the laws governing labor/ management relations for New Jersey private sector employees), and helping in many other ways to provide quality representation.

Research: AFSCME's research capabilities are an important asset for AFSCME members in negotiations, arbitrations and many other areas. Council 73's staff works in conjunction with our International's research department to provide wage and benefit comparisons and sample contract language from the International's computerized data bank of all its contracts nationwide and the International's labor economists who can provide budget analysis and other useful information for AFSCME negotiators.

Legal services: Council 73 utilizes a number of attorneys that specialize in labor law. These attorneys are available from the Council to assist in enforcing AFSCME contracts as well as employee and union rights.

Educational programs: AFSCME's Executive Director works with the Rutgers University Union Leadership Academy to develop and run training programs for Council 73 officers and members on subjects such as local leadership development, the role of the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC), duty of fair representation, grievance handling, negotiating skills, and other issues requested by local unions.

AFSCME International and Council
73's Legislative work

AFSCME Council 73 works in conjunction with AFSCME New Jersey's Political and Legislative Director to develop an extensive legislative program to safeguard the interests of public and non-profit employees. AFSCME's full-time, professional lobbyist in New Jersey and Council 73's Executive Director, in conjunction with the membership, have been instrumental in winning many key victories over the years.

Collective Bargaining:: Thanks to AFSCME's efforts, New Jersey has one of the strongest and most comprehensive public employee collective bargaining laws in the country.

>Health and Safety Protections:: AFSCME's efforts led to passage of a law giving New Jersey public employees the right to a safe and healthy workplace and the right to know about dangerous workplace substances.

Political Action:: AFSCME Council 73 and its members work hard to elect legislators and executives who recognize their responsibility to the working families of New Jersey, especially those that work in the public sector.

And Much More

Scholarship programs: AFSCME Council 73 provides college scholarships every year for children of Council members.

Publications: Council 73 members receive a monthly newspaper from the International union. In addition, many local unions produce their own newsletters. The International union also publishes a stewards' magazine, a women's newsletter, a collective bargaining reporter, a retirees' newsletter, and numerous other pamphlets.