11 March 2015

AFSCME Sub-chapter 161

Dear member:

We will meet again at Ruby Tuesdays Restaurant at 5203 Old Orchard Road, Skokie, Il. on Wednesday, 18^th of March. The meeting starts at 11 AM.

This will be a working meeting for members. Information from the Council as well as other sources will be available for you. I want you to have facts to counter the lies that will be in the mainstream media. We will also look at the new legislature and bills being discussed.

The focus will be on building one-to-one connections. We first educate ourselves, then family, friends, and sympathetic listeners wherever we meet them. This is foundational work. It’s not dramatic. But it is the basis of what we have to do to save our pensions and benefits.

We have to act: testing new ways to meet active people and building a base of support in each legislative district. We have to learn and apply new skills in order to attract and focus supporters. Council will shape a strategy to beat off the legislative attacks. We have to be ready to support the plan with our new skills and connections.

Our sub-chapter has a reputation for taking action. Past efforts at Town hall meetings and office visits have educated us as well as the legislators. Actions, properly done, lead to knowledge and power.

But blocking bad law isn’t enough. If this crisis leads to anything; it should be an appreciation for a legacy we would want to leave for our families and community. In general terms, we are working to build a “pressure of possibility” that doesn’t exist in Springfield.

Sincerely,

Charlie Hogan,
President

Charlie Hogan