Union Label Celebrates Centennial, Looks Ahead
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The AFL-CIO Union Label and Service Trades Department (UL&STD) celebrated its centennial earlier this month by looking forward to the future. Delegates to the department’s convention in Pittsburgh adopted new strategies to help working families cope with the new American workplace and to help them rebuild the American middle class.
The convention adopted several resolutions to prepare for the next phase of the department’s growth. A key resolution modified the department’s functions to emphasize information and communication sharing. Another resolution called on affiliated unions to help improve the quality of data on union-made goods and services, to link any product lists on their websites to the Union Label website and to regularly advise the department of goods and services made by union members.
The delegates also re-elected President Richard Kline and Secretary-Treasurer James Dunn and chose 17 vice presidents.
In his keynote address at the convention, United Steelworkers (USW) President Leo Gerard praised President Obama’s decision to enforce trade laws and provide relief to the U.S. tire industry from the surge of tire imports from China.
Finally, we have a president who is not afraid to act.
[The tire decision] won’t result in the opening of a closed tire plant, but it does send the message that an American president is willing to stand up for workers.
