AFSCME’s second Next Wave Conference was held this past weekend in Atlanta, GA and it was a huge success. Over 600 Next Wavers under the age of 35 attended the conference. The conference focused on the need of young activism in our union and discussed national attacks against workers and their rights.

Young activist participated in a rally to fight back against immigration laws in the state of Georgia, attended workshops to find strategic ways to help our brothers and sisters in our battleground states, and discovered the rich history of Georgia at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.

Dr. King was a prominent part of AFSCME history as he marched with AFSCME members of Local 1733 in Memphis, Tennessee for the sanitation strike of 1968. Recently, workers of Local 1733 were inducted into the U.S. Department of Labor “Labor’s Hall of Fame. Guest Speakers included: AFSCME President Gerald McEntee, Secretary-Treasurer Lee Saunders, and Reverend Al Sharpton.