A Diverse Union Is a Strong Union

by James Parks, Jun 25, 2007

A diverse union movement is a strong union movement. But building that diverse union movement will require commitment of the leadership and education of all workers, participants in the third of four Power in Diversity dialogues said.

Some 190 union leaders and activists meeting June 23 in Detroit looked at concrete ideas on how to increase diversity in the leadership of their unions. In the first and second  diversity dialogues held earlier in Atlanta and Philadelphia, participants began a series of frank discussions about the best 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 are pinpointing problems that exist in attaining diversity.

Saundra Williams, president of the Metropolitan Detroit Central Labor Council, who moderated a panel on best practices in diversity, says the leadership of the union movement must reflect its membership.

We’ve always understood that in organizing. We now need to understand that in general. If we really care about the union movement, then it has to be inclusive. When we are inclusive, it makes everything better. When we have more ideas and opinions, we come up with better solutions and strategies.

Several union leaders from throughout the Midwest explained how they increased diversity in their leadership by consciously attempting to hire more women organizers, by seeking advice and potential leaders from constituency groups and by expanding their boards to provide more opportunities for women and people of color.

Williams, who says the Detroit CLC expanded its board to provide opportunities for members of the constituency groups, emphasized that these positions cannot be “just token” positions. The new members must have a vote and be involved in the important work of the board, not just “make-work” types of activities, she says.

Williams says educating members is important as well. On one hand, she says, the leadership must work to build support for diversity. On the other hand, they have to help women and people of color gain the education they need to be effective leaders. 

These ideas reflect some of the same suggestions made at the previous two diversity dialogues. At the Philadelphia conference, Jim Snow, organizing director of Painters and Allied Trades District 35 in Massachusetts, told participants the 10 organizers in his department include four people of color. Snow said: 

 Having diverse staff is both a tactical and moral decision. We do a lot of organizing in communities of color, and it is important to have staff that reflects the community you are organizing.  

Today, nearly one-third of the members in his local are minorities and immigrants.

AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson told the Detroit conference that building diversity is critical for the future of the union movement.

This is the time when we need to take stock of what we’ve achieved and what we haven’t achieved so far; what forces inside the AFL-CIO are on our side and what obstacles we’re up against; what’s working and what isn’t; what are the best practices out there that we can share; and most of all, where we go from here.

So what you do here is absolutely vital, not only for the next months or next year, but for our kids and grandchildren who follow us.

The dialogues grew out of the historic adoption of Resolution #2 at the 2005 AFL-CIO Convention. The resolution, titled “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; and
• Job training and promotion opportunities.

The 2005 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 toward unions are declining. The study also found that women sense a lack of commitment among union leaders to advancing women.

The last of the four scheduled diversity dialogues is set for July 14 in San Francisco.

Click here for more information and here for a registration form for the Power in Diversity dialogues.

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