Public Employee Press

Third in a series on the future of
the labor movement

Walkout weakens labor federation
A boycott by major unions mars the AFL-CIO’s 50th anniversary convention.

Despite the divison within the labor movement, DC 37 and our national union remain strong.
— Lillian Roberts,
DC 37 Executive Director

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

CHICAGO — The labor movement has splintered at a time when working families face a hostile administration in the White House and nearly 90 percent of workers lack union representation.

Feelings of despair, hope and uncertainty permeate the movement as leaders and activists consider the fallout from the AFL-CIO’s July 24-28 convention in Chicago. Since July, three unions that represent about 4 million workers have bolted from the federation.

“I was very disappointed that some unions chose not to participate in the convention and left the AFL-CIO instead of taking their concerns to the floor and participating in a democratic debate about policy,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts, who attended the convention. “But we have seen unions leave before and then return to the AFL-CIO. There is always the possibility that we will eventually get back together.”

The AFL-CIO’s celebration of its 50th anniversary in Chicago was marred by a boycott by dissident unions and the decision of two major unions, the Service Employees International Union and the Teamsters, to announce their disaffiliation on the opening day.

“It’s far easier to tear down a union movement than to build one,” AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney said, reacting to the boycott. The day after the convention, the United Food and Commercial Workers pulled out, and more unions are likely to follow. The SEIU, Teamsters and UFCW are part of a new group of seven unions called the Change to Win Coalition, which says it will establish a competing labor federation of at least 6 million workers later this year.

“We are sorry to see SEIU and the Teamsters leave,” said Gerald W. McEntee, president of DC 37’s national union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, when the two unions announced their decision to pull out on July 24.

“They’re weaker without us; we’re all stronger together. But make no mistake, we are going to strengthen AFSCME and the federation, grow our membership, build workers’ power and win real victories for working families.”

An internal debate within the labor movement has raged over the past year as union leaders and activists engaged in collective soul searching over labor’s dwindling numbers and the nation’s conservative political landscape. Today, less than 13 percent of the country’s labor force is organized, compared to 35 percent during the 1950s.

In the private sector, unions represent less than 8 percent of workers, the lowest in about 100 years. The AFL-CIO, whose political action committee is headed by McEntee, is still smarting after spending tens of millions of dollars last year in a losing effort to prevent President Bush from being re-elected.

Split over policy or leadership?
The Change to Win Coalition faults Sweeney for not devoting enough resources to organizing. SEIU President Andrew Stern has called for the consolidation of the more than 50 unions in the AFL-CIO into about 20 mega-unions organized according to the sectors of the economy.

The Sweeney camp says the differences over policy and the balance between the federation’s political action and organizing budgets were not irreconcilable, suggesting that the ultimate dispute came down to a disagreement over leadership. McEntee has said that the dissident group ultimately would never have been satisfied unless it succeeded in forcing out Sweeney, who was unanimously re-elected.

At the convention, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a guest speaker, expressed sorrow over the division within the labor movement. “We must learn to fight internally but coalesce externally against those who would destroy both sides,” Jackson said.

The civil rights leader commented on the policy debate: “There are those who say labor must invest more in organizing workers and go South where there are so many unorganized working poor. They are right,” he said. “There are those who say we must wage political battles to strengthen workers’ rights. They are right too.”

Local 2054 President Joan Reed and Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez were convention delegates; the two are DC 37 vice presidents and represent DC 37 as international vice presidents on the AFSCME Executive Board.

“There was a real feeling of sadness at the convention,” Reed said. “But if this lights a fire or stirs things up, it could be good in the long run.” Rodriguez said he believed the dissidents should have continued to fight for their agenda within the AFL-CIO. “At DC 37, we can agree to disagree without abandoning ship,” he said.

DC 37 Treasurer and Local 1407 President Maf Misbah Uddin called the current divisiveness — particularly the possibility that unions will now raid each other for members — disheartening. But he expressed his hope that the split would ultimately usher in an era of organizing and help revive the labor movement.

Roberts emphasized that despite the division in the national House of Labor, unions remain strong in New York City and the split doesn’t threaten the workplace and contractual protections of DC 37 members.