THE PLAN For a
Stronger, United, and Resilient Labor Movement
I am Braxton Winston and I am running to be President of the North Carolina State AFL-CIO. I am a proven labor advocate, community organizer, and public servant. As president I will amplify our state’s labor movement, deepen our political power, and ensure every worker in this state knows dignity in their work and understands the rights that they do have under the law. The deck may be stacked against workers in North Carolina, but that won't stop us from building the strongest, most inclusive labor movement in the South.
Organize for Power
Strengthen Our Unions
Political Power for Working People
Culture, Community, and Solidarity
Racial and Economic Justice
ORGANIZE FOR POWER
Statewide Organizing Strategy
My #1 priority is maintaining a strong federation of our affiliate organizations. We have to support the legacy of solidarity work in order to preserve hard fought victories all over our large state. At the same time, we have to look to the future and find new people and places to organize with. We will work with our affiliates across the state to support their efforts wherever they are organizing.
Invest in Organizers
To successfully continue the work of existing union efforts and launch new organizing efforts around the state, we need an abundance of a scarce resource– new organizers to bear the heavy load cast in organizing workers and workplaces. The state federation should look to collaborate with the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute to support a robust training program for new activists, especially from marginalized communities, to grow the next generation of union leaders.
Southern Solidarity
While we must focus our work within our borders, labor organizing in the American South has to be looked at as a collective culture. Corporations and governments certainly collaborate to weaken workers' rights. To combat this, we must deepen alliances with neighboring state federations and worker centers across the South to build regional campaigns and mutual support networks.
POLITICAL POWER FOR WORKING PEOPLE
Labor-First Political Agenda
Push for a pro-labor legislative platform including collective bargaining rights for public employees, higher minimum wages, and anti-wage theft protections. We will advocate on the federal level as well as the municipal and local level to find every opportunity to gain legislative and policy wins for North Carolina workers.
Union Members to Office
No one understands the benefits and challenges of the labor movement more than an actual union member. Getting our membership elected to positions that govern worker’s rights should be an important priority to insert the priorities of our movement into the agenda of our governments. We should create a Labor Candidates Pipeline to train and support union members to run for local and state offices.
Hold Politicians Accountable
We should endorse only those who walk the walk. No candidate gets a free pass—we demand real commitments to labor rights. It shouldn’t matter what political party they belong to or how long they have been in office, candidates must show that they are willing to put their political skin in the game on behalf of workers and workers’ rights. Regardless of endorsement, the NC AFL-CIO should also be paying attention to and calling out when governments and politicians in our state make decisions that aren’t in the best interests of workers.
RACIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE
Fight Structural Inequality
Despite some of the national political rhetoric, workers rights, economic justice, and social justice are intrinsically interconnected. This is especially true here in the American South. We must continue to work with our partners to tackle racial, gender, and economic injustices within our workplaces and our unions. We must continue to acknowledge and repair the presence of inequalities of our own union movements. Keeping our own house clean will greatly serve the external parts of our work.
Ensure Emerging Industries Create Good, Union Jobs
We must support workers whose industries are facing an existential disruption. Technological change should open new doors for workers instead of providing dead ends. We must work together to organize and transition into good, green union jobs.
Language & Access
North Carolina workers are muti-ethnic and multilingual. In order for our movement to truly flourish we must ensure our movement is multilingual (i.e. materials) and accessible for all workers, regardless of immigration status or ability.
STRENGTHEN OUR UNIONS
Union Democracy and Transparency
In order for our movement to grow we must make sure our affiliate organizations are internally promoting best practices in union democracy, financial transparency, and member engagement. Given our current realities, we must recognize that unions have targets on our backs and our affiliates are likely to face increased scrutiny that we will have to withstand. Our union leaders and officers need to be able to access information and training in organizational management best practices. NC AFL-CIO should work with the National AFL-CIO to provide leadership resources to help leadership navigate our changing environment.
Union Action Network
Our NC labor movement deserves a digital home/platform where workers can go to learn about the resources and labor fights that are happening throughout North Carolina. Developing this statewide digital platform will help workers and locals share strategy, mobilize solidarity, and fight together. This is especially true in the current state of our labor movement as we deal with attacks on union rights from a second Trump administration by identifying organizational needs and assets, and establishing a structure for rapid, large-scale mobilizations.
Labor Education for All
Partner with community colleges, worker centers and HBCUs to offer labor history, rights training, and steward development programs. Our Carolina Labor School is an incredible resource. We should support its existing structure and explore ways to strengthen and expand its offerings.
CULTURE, COMMUNITY, and SOLIDARITY
Labor is Everywhere
Use arts, culture, and media to tell the story of working people to make the labor movement visible and inspiring. We must control the narrative as experts on the conditions of working people in our state. We will do this through consistent presence on social and traditional media. Today, meeting people where they are at has to be a mix of content on social media networks, local and regional journalism outlets, and television.
Worker Solidarity Fund
Research and build a solidarity fund to support striking workers, disaster relief, and urgent actions. We can only ask working people to take risks if there is a safety net to fall into when things get rough. This, especially the research portion of the effort, could be a great way to build solidarity in white collar professions like finance which today’s labor movement has had trouble organizing.
Community Coalitions
Partner with civil rights, environmental justice, housing, and healthcare movements. When we fight together, we win together.
LET'S LEAD THE SOUTHERN LABOR REVIVAL
North Carolina is ground zero for the rebirth of labor in the South. We are no longer waiting on change—we are the change. Let’s organize boldly, fight unapologetically, and build a labor movement that leaves no worker behind.
Braxton Winston
For a Stronger, United, and Resilient North Carolina Labor Movement