Pennsylvania Labor Movement Stronger with New Alliance

Frank Snyder, AFL-CIO political director for Pennsylvania, reports on the Pennsylvania union movement’s restructuring efforts.

Just more than two years ago, over the course of nine months, the Pennsylvania labor movement restructured and created organizations called area labor federations to better mobilize, strengthen and organize union members. Through the labor councils, the area labor federations were designed to support affiliate organizing and contract, legislative and electoral campaigns. This week, the Pennsylvania New Alliance Coordinating Committee met to discuss the progress of the relatively new structure and to plan strategies to ensure that the area labor federations can become even more effective tools of mobilization.

The chairmen and chairwomen of each area labor federation reported on local successes of the new structure, citing the key role that area labor federations played in defeating two-term Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, electing four pro-union members of Congress, taking the state House from Republican control and electing union members to public office. Due in large part to the new structure, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO led the nation in the number of local and state elected officials pledging support of the Employee Free Choice Act and because of large campaigns orchestrated by the area labor federations, Pennsylvania has increased union membership in recent years by 83,000.

AFSCME Council 13 Executive Director Dave Fillman hosted the Pennsylvania New Alliance Coordinating Committee Meeting at the AFSCME Conference Center in Harrisburg. AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka welcomed the area labor federation chairmen and chairwomen, treasurers, executive board members, central labor council presidents, constituency groups (including A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI), Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) and other labor leaders in attendance. Trumka called the meeting an opportunity to “consider and reflect on how far we’ve come and to look around the corner a little bit into the future.”

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Bill George emphasized the success of the area labor federations and any future success in the union movement are dependent on unity and solidarity. He went on to say that with the creation of the area labor federation system, 

we have the ability to pool the financial and local union resources in such a way that we have at least one full-time mobilization staff in every area labor federation. The state now has strong area boards of leaders who are implementing a wide range of labor movement initiatives.

Central Pennsylvania Area Labor Federation Chairwoman Mary Schwanger summed up her impressive report by saying:

This substantial and sudden change demonstrates what can be accomplished when we focus resources, set goals and come together.

Labor 2008 staff members discussed the key issues they will work on during the election year and Working America Pennsylvania field director Jennifer Jannon noted the additional strength her organization’s member numbers give to the movement. 

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Bloomingdale echoed the significance of that political power in his closing remarks when he said the mobilizing power of the area labor federations, together with the Labor 2008 program, will help make sure we can win this election so we can move the legislature the labor movement needs. 

The New Alliance Coordinators Committee Meeting acknowledged the foundation we’ve established in the past two years and laid plans for building an even stronger, larger and more unified labor movement.

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