We are public workers, health-care workers, building service workers, office workers, professional workers, and industrial and allied workers. We seek a stronger union to build power for ourselves and to protect the people we serve.

Women and men of every race, ethnicity, religion, age, physical ability and sexual orientation, we are the standard-bearers in the struggle for social and economic justice begun nearly a century ago by janitors who dared to dream beyond their daily hardships and to organize for economic security, dignity and respect.

Our vision is of a society:

Where all workers and their families live and work in dignity

Where work is fulfilling and fairly rewarded.

Where workers have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them.

Where workers have the opportunity to develop their talents and skills.

Where the collective voice and power of workers is realized in democratic and progressive unions.

Where union solidarity stands firm against the forces of discrimination and hate and the unfair employment practices of exploitive employers.

Where government plays an active role in improving the live of working people.

To achieve this vision:

We must organize unorganized service workers, extending to them the gains of unionism while securing control over our industries and labor markets.

We must build political power to ensure that workers' voices are heard at every level of government to create economic opportunity and foster social justice.

We must provide meaningful paths for member involvement and participation in strong, democratic unions.

We must develop highly trained and motivated leaders at every level of the union who reflect the membership in all its diversity.

We must bargain contracts that improve wages and working conditions, expand the role of workers in workplace decision-making, and build a stronger union.

We must build coalitions and act in solidarity with other organizations who share our concern for social and economic justice.

We must engage in direct action that demonstrates our power and our determination to win.

To accomplish these goals we must be unified--inspired by a set of beliefs and principles that transcends our social and occupational diversity and guides our work.

We believe we can accomplish little as separate individuals, but that together we have the power to create a just society.

We believe unions are the means by which working people build power--by which ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things.

We believe our strength comes from our unity, and that we must not be divided by forces of discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, physical ability, sexual orientation or immigration status.

We believe our power and effectiveness depend upon the active participation and commitment of our members, the development of our leaders, and solidarity with each other and our allies.

We believe we have a special mission to bring economic and social justice to those most exploited in our community--especially to women and workers of color.

We believe our future cannot be separated from that of workers in other parts of the world who struggle for economic justic, a decent life for their families, peace, dignity and democracy.

We believe unions are necessary for a democratic society to prevail, and that unios must participate in the political life of our society.

We believe we have a moral responsibility to leave the world a better place for our children--and everyone's children.