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‘We Need All Our Members to Restore Vitality of the Union Movement’ |
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The union movement needs all its members to fight the corporate forces that are strangling the nation’s middle class. But a large portion of union members are not included when decisions are made.
In the first of four Power in Diversity dialogues, more than 100 union leaders and activists meeting in Atlanta yesterday began a series of frank discussions about ways to ensure that the leadership of the union movement is as diverse as its membership.
During these diversity dialogues, local and regional union members, elected leaders and activists, members of AFL-CIO constituency groups and central local body and state federation leaders will identify problems that exist in attaining diversity. They also will discuss the best ways to meet today’s organizing and political challenges and opportunities by engaging all members in our struggle.
In a keynote address, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka pointed out that 43 percent of union members are women, 30 percent are people of color, many members are gay or lesbian or people with disabilities. “But our leadership does not reflect those percentages and that’s not just bad math, it’s morally indefensible.”
We simply cannot reach our goal of restoring the vitality of our movement as a bargaining power and a political power without the contributions and active participation of all of our members. And we can’t restore the voice of working families without significant membership growth. Women and minorities are our greatest hope for achieving that growth. But we’re not presenting a picture of a union movement they want to join.
Our members–all our members–are the life blood of our movement. We cannot continue cutting off a large portion of that power
North Carolina AFL-CIO President James Andrews, one of three African American state federation presidents, says:
Unions have been in the forefront of the fight for justice. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us that the goals of the civil rights movement and the union movement are the same: to open the doors of opportunity and ensure justice for all. These dialogues are the next step in making those goals into a reality.
The dialogues grew out of the historic adoption of Resolution #2 at the 2005 AFL-CIO Convention. Resolution #2, “A Diverse Movement Calls for Diverse Leadership,” calls for:
- AFL-CIO Convention delegations to reflect the diversity of their unions.
- Central labor councils and state federations to implement plans for diverse leadership.
- Job, training and promotion opportunities.
The 2005 convention resolution cited a study by researcher Silas Lee that concluded many people of color think unions lack a commitment to address their concerns and that union members of color feel taken for granted. At the same time, a study by the AFL-CIO’s Working Women Committee found that while women have been joining unions in greater numbers than men for 25 years, favorable attitudes of women towards unions are declining. The study also found that women sense a lack of commitment among union leaders to advancing women.
The ideas developed at the Atlanta conference and the three remaining dialogues will be combined into a plan to translate Resolution #2 into action.
As Trumka says:
We’ve opened the doors to full inclusion, but we’re still not getting where we need to be fast enough and the truth is, we’ll never get there until we throw those doors wide open.
We have to be at full strength and in full battle gear because our agenda is incredibly threatening to the forces of the right and to the corporate giants who now control so much of our policies.
The next diversity dialogue is set for Philadelphia on June 16, followed by dialogues in Detroit on June 23 and San Francisco July 14.
Click here for more information and here for a registration form for the Power in Diversity dialogues.
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Previous negative comments about Hilliary Clinton were erased, I think from this comment blog. Now is the time for the labor movement, despite the existing conservative “leadership”, must energize it’s membership and finally decide to speak for all of America’s working people, organized or not, legal or not, if we as working people are going to survive.
We need desperately a new political party, independent of the Democratic Party, independent of the exiting labor bureaucrats (but hopefully supported by them). to create new mass media to address the needs of all working people in this country. The Democratic Party is getting it’s money from the same corporate interests as the Republicans, with sinsiter people such as Rupert Murdoch bankrolling Hilliary Clinton (wonder why?).
Organized labor must listen to the suffering of working people today! Health insurance, massive credit card debt ( because wages have gone down and medical costs must be met), the public school system is declining and being attacked, etc. PRIVATIZATION MUST BE OPPOSED AT EVERY LEVEL, INCLUDING THE PRIVATIZATION OF THE MILITARY AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, EVEN THE CIA IS 70% OUTSOURCED!
Scientists are warning the our very existence is at stake if GLOBAL WARMING CONTINUES! U.S. capitalist economy has been in decline for the last 30 years. Manufacturing has gone overseas in search of the cheapest labor on the planet, leaving millions of workers unable to find a living wage job.
Jobs need to be created to rebuild our cities with affordable housing. WE NEED TO END ALL WARS FOR OIL AND PROFIT. DECLINING PROFITS FROM TRADITIONAL INDUSTRY IN THE U.S. IS FORCING U.S.COMPANIES TO MAXIMIZE THEIR WEALTH BY PRIVATIZING ESSENTIAL SERVICES, BY MAKING BIG MONEY IN PRIVATIZED HEALTH CARE, BY GOING INTO THE WAR BUSINES.
This country and it’s working people are facing many monumental crisis. the Democratic party is utterly useless as a vehicle to address our needs. The labor “leaders” who continue to follow these corrupt politicians are betraying what is left of the trust working people had in the labor movement.
For one more critical commentary about Hilliary Clinton, go here:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/jun2007/clin-j11_prn.shtml
Hillary Clinton in Detroit: Democrat preaches American nationalism to union bureaucracy
Also check out this:
US: CEO pay climbs to “stratospheric heights”
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/jun2007/ceo-j11_prn.shtml
ONE LAST COMMENT:
The labor movement should not accept submissively that it’s O.K. for companies to go bankrupt simply to shed earned worker benefits, such as
pensions, health care, etc. IF THE COMPANIES PLAY THIS GAME, THE UNION SHOULD URGE THE COMPANY BE NATIONALIZED AND PUT UNDER WORKER-MANAGEMENT!
WHAT DID THE LABOR MOVEMENT DO ABOUT CIRCUIT CITY FIRING IT’S TOP PAID WORKERS TO SAVE MONEY, AND OFFER THEIR JOB BACK AT $7.50 AN HOUR/??? PROBABLY NOTHING! THEY LABOR MOVEMENT SHOULD IMMEDIATELY NATIONALLY HAVE ORGANIZED CIRCUIT CITY, UNIONIZED (IF NOT ALREADY), URGED THE CHAIN SHOULD BE NATIONALIZED, PUT UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT.
NOW IS THE LABOR MOVEMENT TO COME ALIVE FOR THE NOVEMBER 2008 ELECTION WITH A NEW PLAN FOR AMERICA.
FIRST, IT MUST END THE IRAQ WAR, CLOSE THE 700 BASES AROUND THE WORLD, CUT MILITARY BUDGET BY 50%, TO STOP THE DEFICITS BORROWING OF MONEY FROM CHINA, ETC. AND END THE TAX CUTS ON THE WEALTH. CREATE JOBS TO REBUILD CITIES, BUILD PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, TRANSITION POLLUTING COMPANIES TO POLLUTION FREE, BUILD SOLAR, WIND ENERGY, ETC.ETC.
WHY ISN’T LABOR MOVEMENT SAYING ANYTHING LIKE THIS OR PROPOSING THESE THINGS IN A NEW LABOR PARTY!!!!!
Hi, JerryWells:
No comments have been erased. Check out the comments under the blog on Hillary’s Town Hall forum Saturday.
Take care,
Tula Connell
I’m an officer in a local and I can tell you that the majority of members don’t give a crap about the union until they are in trouble. When the trouble is over, they don’t care again. They belong to things like the NRA, they listen to rightwing talk, and they are bombarded everyday with anti-union material. The union movement needs to combat all of the anti-union disinformation out in the media. We need a Populist movement. The AFL-CIO needs to start putting info-mercials on tv and radio explaining what a union is (the uniting of members as one to bargain a fair contract) and how unions can benefit workers. Then they should also put on regular ads that have contact information so people can get more info and possibly organize. This would be money much more wisely spent than lobbying, campaign finance, and expensive convetions and gathers like that expensive shing-ding at Saratoga Racetrack for NYS AFL-CIO members.
For years I have been hearing that the labor movement needs to become a movement again. We have allowed politicians, lawyers, and government bureaucrats to weaken us with one sided contracts, unfair regulations and laws.
The American labor movement was born in struggle. The American labor movement must resort to struggle along with lobbying, etc to change the situation that our once great nation is in. Depending on a bankrupt system for relief is like drinking sea water when one is thirsty… it will only make you sick!
On my job we need to be organized, but folks are scared. They are scared with good reason; the NLRB is a tool of the bosses as is the judicial system! We need to be more like our sisters and brothers in France and Germany, TAKE IT TO THE STREETS!
ChicanoWobbly said,
“”"The American labor movement was born in struggle. The American labor movement must resort to struggle along with lobbying, etc to change the situation that our once great nation is in. Depending on a bankrupt system for relief is like drinking sea water when one is thirsty… it will only make you sick!”"”
I agree completely. Many of our current so called labor leaders are Capitalists. No matter how you flavor the salt water it will still make you sick.
All of our great Union Leaders of the past were committed Socialists and truly understood the struggle of the Working Class around the world. They fought fundamental Social, Political and Economic changes to improve the lives of all people. They realized the fact that as long is there is one remaining oppressed person or Nation in the world, the struggle for Social, Political and Economic Justice must continue.
Correction of my last post..
I meant to say that Many of our Great Union Leaders of the Past Fought For fundamental changes to improve the lives of all people.
No doubt we still have some great Union Leaders who carry on the Struggle. I urge you to become one of them and join in our quest for Universal Political, Social and Economic Justice for All.