haplesshobo
07-26-2005, 02:55 AM
AFL-CIO Split Puts Labor's Path in Doubt
Teamsters and service employees pull out, calling for more emphasis on organizing. In California, a unified front is expected to hold.
By P.J. Huffstutter and Debora Vrana, Times Staff Writers
CHICAGO — Two of the nation's largest unions Monday officially bolted from the AFL-CIO, deepening a rift over the future of the struggling U.S. labor movement while raising questions about labor's support of the Democratic Party.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Service Employees International Union, which together make up about one-fourth of the AFL-CIO's 13 million members, said they were leaving the federation because of fundamental differences over organizing tactics and political activities.
The largest rift in organized labor in nearly 70 years was seen as a troubling, though expected, development by many in organized labor, and was blasted by AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney as "a grievous insult." The defections mean that the 50-year-old federation has lost two of its largest groups, which contribute about one-sixth of its total annual budget.
Two other prominent unions also are considering leaving the federation. Combined with the Teamsters and SEIU, their departure would result in the loss of nearly a third of the AFL-CIO's members.
The federation, the dissenting unions said, spends too much time and money on political activities, and not enough on getting workers to join unions. The service employees union has pointed to its successes in courting and organizing low-wage immigrant workers, who are a major segment of the workforce in California.
Without the formal affiliation of the SEIU, the AFL-CIO's politically influential Los Angeles County Federation of Labor stands to lose its largest faction — which represents more than a third of the county's union members.
Local union leaders expressed confidence that, regardless of the direction taken by national leaders, organized labor would remain strong and united in Los Angeles. Part of that unity is driven by a ballot fight looming this fall against several initiatives backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that unions see as anti-labor.
"I would compare this to the first game of the World Series. There's still a lot of game left to play," said Martin Ludlow, the newly elected head of the Los Angeles County federation, which has been instrumental in electing numerous local politicians to office.
In recent weeks, the Teamsters, SEIU and five other unions have joined forces in the Change to Win coalition, which officials said was aimed at restoring power to the labor movement.
The SEIU has 1.8 million members and the Teamsters have 1.3 million, making them two of the three largest unions in the AFL-CIO. Teamsters President James P. Hoffa and SEIU President Andrew L. Stern said their unions planned to set aside an estimated $10 million to help the coalition recruit new union members.
"This was not done lightly," Hoffa said at a news conference. "We must have more union members in order to change the political climate that is undermining workers' rights in this country. The AFL-CIO has chosen the opposite approach."
The news came on the first day of the federation's annual labor convention here, where some of the American labor movement's most epic battles have been fought.
In a town with the nation's greatest number of Local 1s, and where the battle to establish an eight-hour workday led to bloodshed, Chicago seemed like a perfect place to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the merger between the American Federation of Labor (which mostly represented craft workers) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (which mostly represented industrial and factory workers).
But most of the buzz leading up to the convention has revolved around the growing frustration over slumping membership.
Unions now represent about 12% of all workers, and less than 8% of those in the private sector. Fifty years ago, organized labor made up more than one-third of the workforce.
Although many convention attendees bemoaned the split, the rift had been building for months. On Sunday evening, leaders of the Teamsters, the service employees union, United Food and Commercial Workers and Unite Here, a garment and hotel workers union, announced that they would boycott the convention.
They said the decision came after recent talks to prevent the walkout failed. The boycott heightened expectations that some of the unions planned to cut ties with the federation this week.
Officials with the food and commercial workers union and Unite Here on Monday declined to comment on whether they also would leave the AFL-CIO. But the SEIU's Stern said that as other coalition members talk about their options of staying or leaving, "everybody is on the same course as we are."
Teamsters and service employees pull out, calling for more emphasis on organizing. In California, a unified front is expected to hold.
By P.J. Huffstutter and Debora Vrana, Times Staff Writers
CHICAGO — Two of the nation's largest unions Monday officially bolted from the AFL-CIO, deepening a rift over the future of the struggling U.S. labor movement while raising questions about labor's support of the Democratic Party.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Service Employees International Union, which together make up about one-fourth of the AFL-CIO's 13 million members, said they were leaving the federation because of fundamental differences over organizing tactics and political activities.
The largest rift in organized labor in nearly 70 years was seen as a troubling, though expected, development by many in organized labor, and was blasted by AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney as "a grievous insult." The defections mean that the 50-year-old federation has lost two of its largest groups, which contribute about one-sixth of its total annual budget.
Two other prominent unions also are considering leaving the federation. Combined with the Teamsters and SEIU, their departure would result in the loss of nearly a third of the AFL-CIO's members.
The federation, the dissenting unions said, spends too much time and money on political activities, and not enough on getting workers to join unions. The service employees union has pointed to its successes in courting and organizing low-wage immigrant workers, who are a major segment of the workforce in California.
Without the formal affiliation of the SEIU, the AFL-CIO's politically influential Los Angeles County Federation of Labor stands to lose its largest faction — which represents more than a third of the county's union members.
Local union leaders expressed confidence that, regardless of the direction taken by national leaders, organized labor would remain strong and united in Los Angeles. Part of that unity is driven by a ballot fight looming this fall against several initiatives backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that unions see as anti-labor.
"I would compare this to the first game of the World Series. There's still a lot of game left to play," said Martin Ludlow, the newly elected head of the Los Angeles County federation, which has been instrumental in electing numerous local politicians to office.
In recent weeks, the Teamsters, SEIU and five other unions have joined forces in the Change to Win coalition, which officials said was aimed at restoring power to the labor movement.
The SEIU has 1.8 million members and the Teamsters have 1.3 million, making them two of the three largest unions in the AFL-CIO. Teamsters President James P. Hoffa and SEIU President Andrew L. Stern said their unions planned to set aside an estimated $10 million to help the coalition recruit new union members.
"This was not done lightly," Hoffa said at a news conference. "We must have more union members in order to change the political climate that is undermining workers' rights in this country. The AFL-CIO has chosen the opposite approach."
The news came on the first day of the federation's annual labor convention here, where some of the American labor movement's most epic battles have been fought.
In a town with the nation's greatest number of Local 1s, and where the battle to establish an eight-hour workday led to bloodshed, Chicago seemed like a perfect place to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the merger between the American Federation of Labor (which mostly represented craft workers) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (which mostly represented industrial and factory workers).
But most of the buzz leading up to the convention has revolved around the growing frustration over slumping membership.
Unions now represent about 12% of all workers, and less than 8% of those in the private sector. Fifty years ago, organized labor made up more than one-third of the workforce.
Although many convention attendees bemoaned the split, the rift had been building for months. On Sunday evening, leaders of the Teamsters, the service employees union, United Food and Commercial Workers and Unite Here, a garment and hotel workers union, announced that they would boycott the convention.
They said the decision came after recent talks to prevent the walkout failed. The boycott heightened expectations that some of the unions planned to cut ties with the federation this week.
Officials with the food and commercial workers union and Unite Here on Monday declined to comment on whether they also would leave the AFL-CIO. But the SEIU's Stern said that as other coalition members talk about their options of staying or leaving, "everybody is on the same course as we are."