AFSCME 189 Leadership Opportunities

Officer nominations

AFSCME 189 members can nominate candidates for the following leadership positions at the November 10, 2026, 7:00 pm General Membership meeting: 

  • President
  • Vice President
  • Treasurer
  • Recording Secretary
  • Chief Steward
  • Organizer
  • Communications Editor
  • Multiple Chapter Chairs (11 positions in the general unit; 1 position each for the Port unit, Auditor unit, IPR unit, and Attorney unit)
  • Trustee (1 position, 3-year term ending approximately November 2029)

For contested officer positions, AFSCME 189 members can vote in officer elections in January 2027 by electronic ballot. To check your membership, update your email address, or become a member, contact the AFSCME Member Services Center at 844-758-6466.

Bargaining team and member action team

AFSCME 189 will form a bargaining team and member action team for the general unit’s 2027 bargaining campaign, as the labor agreement expires December 2027. We will reach out to members and provide more information in spring/summer 2027. Want to get a head-start? -

Come to organizing training in November 2026. 

Contact organizer@afscme189.com. 

Stewards

Stewards are our coworkers and members who have taken the first step to become more involved in our Union and represent coworkers in a workgroup or work location. Their primary role is to support members who want to grieve a contract violation or who are being investigated/disciplined by management. AFSCME 189 will provide all training you need and we are always recruiting stewards. 

Contact chiefsteward@afscme189.com. 

Responsibilities and expectations

All officers are expected to participate in monthly General Membership meetings (usually the second Tuesday) and monthly Executive Board meetings (usually the fourth Tuesday), and committee meetings. Officers serve a 2-year term and develop strategies for our Union, guide our programs and activities, shape our culture, and improve processes. Officers represent the concerns and issues of our membership and model our values of inclusion, member-leadership, and stewardship. Officers engage and support members and play an integral role in organizing employees we represent. The AFSCME 189 Constitution and AFSCME 189 policies describe the officer responsibilities and expectations in more detail, with highlights shown below:

  • President: Guide Executive Board, preside at meetings, serve as delegate to conventions, full-time commitment expected
  • Vice President: Assist the president and fill in for the president in their absence, 20% time commitment expected, participate in financial processes/approvals
  • Treasurer: Manage all financial processes, prepare an annual budget, keep financial records, manage multiple bank accounts, 20% time commitment expected
  • Recording Secretary: Prepare agendas and keep records of meetings, lead records management and institutional memory
  • Chief Steward: Recruit, train, and guide stewards, lead complex grievances, support members facing potential discipline, defend our rights under the collective bargaining agreement, 20% time commitment expected
  • Organizer: Organize members, reach out to newly hired employees, drive organizing campaigns
  • Communications Editor: Lead member communications and engagement, update website, manage mass email and related tools; interest/skills in graphic design and social media optional
  • Chapter Chairs: Represent the concerns and issues of members within their assigned chapter, which is a workgroup of about 100 members who either share a common work location, job, or bureau; defend rights under the collective bargaining agreement; participate in grievance administration; support members facing potential discipline; host monthly chapter meetings
  • Trustee: Conduct the financial audit every 6 months, keep an arms-length relationship to the Executive Board
  • Member action team: Engage members in the bargaining campaign, organize members, communicate with members proactively and timely through meetings and direct messages, channel members’ concerns and issues to the bargaining team, support the bargaining team, support picketing and striking if needed. This is an intensive commitment requiring rapid response during the height of the bargaining campaign.
  • Bargaining team: Write bargaining proposals, respond to management’s proposals, decide whether to tentatively agree to a proposal, research member concerns and other employers’/other unions’ contracts. This is an intensive and possibly stressful commitment and the number of seats will be limited. Members should commit to attend numerous and lengthy meetings over the entire bargaining cycle. Members need to participate in bargaining training.

Union leave will likely be available to officers for representation and bargaining activities and may be available for some Union-internal business.