(The Associated Press circulated the following article on June 13.)
WASHINGTON — Although some of the biggest unions oppose them, the AFL-CIO’s executive committee voted 17-7 Monday to support an organizing effort and political strategy backed by the labor federation’s president, John Sweeney. The vote came amid an internal struggle over setting the course of organized labor.
Sweeney and his supporters have focused on mobilizing members for political activity over the course of his 10 years at the helm of the 13 million-member labor organization of 57 unions.
The 1.8 million-member Service Employees International Union is threatening to bolt unless the AFL-CIO commits to a dramatic reorganization.
The SEIU wants the AFL-CIO to cut its budget by more than 50 percent and use the savings to increase organizing by its member unions.
Sweeney put forward a plan he said would address the need to sign up new members and link the drive for growth to workers’ political power.
”Without growth, we cannot sustain wins in the policy debates and political contests that determine the future for working people,” a resolution passed by the executive committee says. ”And without a more hospitable, pro-worker political environment, we cannot grow as fast as we must.”
Sweeney’s plan includes creating a $22.5 million strategic organizing fund. The AFL-CIO laid off 167 employees last month as part of Sweeney’s plan to increase spending on union membership drives.
Other major unions opposing Sweeney’s plan as insufficient include the Teamsters, the United Food and Commercial Workers and the Laborers.
Ben Boyd, SEIU’s director of communications, said the union’s focus is on growth and ”we respectfully disagree” with the AFL-CIO’s approach.
Boyd added that the SEIU would never try to replicate the political program of the AFL-CIO, and in fact would consider contributing to it.
”You cooperate in areas where you agree and you implement in areas where you disagree,” Boyd said.
In decline for 50 years, the union movement represents 12.5 percent of all U.S. workers. The private sector union membership level is 8 percent. A half-century ago one-third of workers in the private sector belonged to unions.