Sioux Falls, S.D (Kelo.com) – The membership of Local 519 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has overwhelmingly voted to endorse Paul TenHaken for his re-election bid for Mayor of Sioux Falls. During the Mayor’s tenure in office, he has prioritized the needs of the workers of the city of Sioux Falls, and the general membership of Local 519 believes that he will continue to put the needs of the hardworking public servants of the city at utmost priority.
Local 519 President Jason Ness said, “We have enjoyed a good working relationship with the Mayor’s office through many rounds of contract negotiations and we appreciate the Mayor’s
desire to ensure that the employees of the city of Sioux Falls are paid appropriately and are treated with respect while they do the difficult work of keeping the city running.” The labor movement is strong in Sioux Falls, and Local 519 looks forward to a continued healthy labor management relationship with Mayor.”
AFSCME was founded during the Great Depression on a simple idea – that a professional civil service is essential to a strong democracy. The business of the people should be carried out by individuals dedicated to serving their communities, not those who have close connections to politicians. This idea has sustained AFSCME through nearly nine decades, as it has grown from a fledgling organization of a few thousand people to one of the most potent forces in the labor movement.
Most recently, AFSCME continues to expand the rights of public service workers by securing collective bargaining for 40,000 family child care providers in California and 20,000 state employees in Nevada, the largest expansion of collective bargaining rights for state workers anywhere in the country in 16 years.
