CSEA and the AFL-CIO

At CSEA’s Annual Conference in 2001, delegates voted to become an independently chartered union of the AFL-CIO. Under the charter, CSEA retained its own constitution and bylaws, without outside control by the AFL-CIO. Members gained access to new discounts and benefits through the AFL-CIO’s Union Plus program. More significantly, the independent charter gave CSEA members the power and clout that comes from combining CSEA’s strength with that of more than 13 million other AFL-CIO members.

Three years after joining the national AFL-CIO, CSEA joined the statewide California Labor Federation (CLF) in 2004. The CLF represents 2.1 million workers in more than 1,300 affiliated unions. CSEA’s membership, in CLF gives classified employees a stronger voice on issues and legislation affecting California’s working families.