Public Employee Press

Third in a series on the future of
the labor movement

AFL-CIO backs greater diversity, bringing troops home

At the July 24-28 convention celebrating the 50th anniversary of the AFL-CIO, delegates adopted resolutions calling for greater diversity in the leadership of the labor movement and the speedy withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

The resolution titled “A Diverse Movement Calls for Diverse Leadership” acknowledged labor’s historic failure to include women and minorities in its top ranks. The policy statement commits the federation to recruit and train new leaders to reflect the growing diversity of the membership.

The resolution on diversity pointed out that although the AFL-CIO supports the civil rights movement, its commitment to opening up its own house to women and minorities has fallen short. The preliminary findings of an AFL-CIO study of people of color in the labor movement found that, “Leadership is dominated by white males and often is seen as entrenched and closed to people of color.”

Under the resolution, the makeup of the delegates at the federation’s convention will be required to reflect the proportion of women and people of color in the membership. Constituency groups — the official union organizations of women, people of color and various sexual preferences — will be represented on the AFL-CIO’s general board.

Commenting on the diversity plan, AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney said, “The leadership of the union movement needs to accurately reflect the diversity of our membership and communities. We must lead the way for employers and government on openness, fairness and opportunity.”

The resolution calling for “rapid withdrawal” of U.S. troops from Iraq was a landmark in labor history — the first time labor officially opposed an ongoing war involving the United States. A generation ago, the federation supported the Vietnam War and AFSCME President Jerry Wurf alone opposed the war on the AFL-CIO Executive Board.

A group of Iraqi trade union leaders who had met with U.S. unionists nationwide observed as delegates passed the resolution. The Iraq statement reflected the work of a nationwide network of union anti-war activists, many affiliated with the United for Peace and Justice organization.

Before the convention, state federations, central labor councils and unions submitted 18 anti-war resolutions. In January 2003, DC 37 delegates adopted a resolution condemning the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

One speaker in favor of the resolution on Iraq was Henry Nicholas, president of the Philadelphia-based District 1199 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, DC 37’s national union. Nicholas said, “In my 45 years in the labor movement, this is my proudest moment, because it is the first time we had the courage to say ‘enough is enough!’ ”

— Gregory N. Heires