[NV Greens] Fwd: Unions Support Plan to Cut AFL-CIO Contributions

Sat Feb 19 22:14:51 PST 2005

>
>The New York Times
>February 19, 2005
>
>Unions Support Plan to Cut A.F.L.-C.I.O. Contributions
>
>By Steven Greenhouse
>
>Many of the nation's largest labor unions, including
>the Teamsters and Service Employees International
>Union, are pushing a plan to cut in half most unions'
>contributions to the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and instead devote
>the money to organizing workers, several labor leaders
>said yesterday.
>
>With union membership and power steadily declining,
>such a move would in theory increase membership,
>although it would weaken the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and force it
>to lay off many employees.
>
>The push for these changes comes as a few union
>presidents are quietly maneuvering to persuade John J.
>Sweeney, the federation's president, not to run for a
>new four-year term.
>
>At a meeting in Washington on Thursday, the presidents
>of several major labor unions backed a Teamsters-led
>plan to cut contributions to the federation, hoping the
>A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s executive council will approve the plan
>at its meeting in Las Vegas in early March.
>
>Under the Teamsters' plan, the A.F.L.-C.I.O., a
>federation of 59 unions representing 13 million
>workers, would be forced to cut its staff of 425 and to
>narrow its focus mostly to politics, lobbying and
>serving as a spokesman for workers.
>
>"I support the Teamsters' proposal because it puts the
>financial resources where they belong - into
>organizing," said Bruce Raynor, president of Unite
>Here, the newly merged union representing apparel,
>hotel and restaurant workers. "We need to do everything
>we can to reverse the decline in living standards for
>American workers, which has been brought about by
>declining union density."
>
>The percentage of workers in unions has plunged to 12.5
>percent from nearly 35 percent in the 1950's.
>
>Among the presidents at Thursday's meeting supporting
>the 50 percent cut in contributions were Mr. Raynor,
>James P. Hoffa of the Teamsters and Andrew Stern of the
>service employees. Although in the hospital, Joseph
>Hansen, president of the United Food and Commercial
>Workers, participated by telephone to back the plan.
>Terence M. O'Sullivan of the Laborers' International
>Union has also voiced support.
>
>Together, these unions represent almost five million
>workers, nearly 40 percent of the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s
>membership.
>
>Union officials say Mr. Stern and Mr. Raynor have told
>other labor leaders that while they believe Mr. Sweeney
>is doing the best he can to reverse labor's decline, it
>is time for new, more forceful leadership. Mr. Sweeney
>is viewed as a consensus builder, who acknowledges that
>he has not succeeded in persuading many unions to
>increase their organizing as much as he had hoped.
>
>When Mr. Sweeney, 70, was first elected federation
>president in 1995, he said he would serve at most 10
>years. But he has reversed himself and has said
>repeatedly in recent months that he wants to head the
>federation for four more years.
>
>"What we're seeing is a little what we saw before, when
>some labor leaders thought it was time to get rid of
>Lane Kirkland," said Charles Craver, a labor relations
>expert at George Washington University, referring to
>Mr. Sweeney's predecessor. "There's a feeling that the
>organization has not been moving forward. John Sweeney
>has tried very hard to turn things around, but if you
>look at the bottom line, there is no significant
>change. The decline has continued unabated."
>
>In 1995, several union leaders maneuvered openly to
>pressure Mr. Kirkland to retire, and that effort
>succeeded. The effort to nudge Mr. Sweeney aside is
>smaller, quieter and less forceful, partly because he
>is so well liked and respected.
>
>"John has talked to a lot of union presidents, and he
>has more than 50 percent backing for re-election," said
>Mr. Sweeney's spokeswoman, Denise Mitchell.
>
>Several union presidents at Thursday's meeting have
>told others that they hope that John W. Wilhelm, one of
>the two top leaders of Unite Here, will run for the
>federation's presidency if Mr. Sweeney decides not to
>run again - and perhaps even if he decides to run.
>
>Mr. Wilhelm declined to comment, although at a forum
>last week in Los Angeles he indicated he would not be
>interested in the federation's presidency unless union
>leaders embraced some of the proposed structural
>changes.
>
>Richard Trumka, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s secretary treasurer
>and a former president of the United Mine Workers, has
>signaled that he plans to seek the federation's
>presidency if Mr. Sweeney steps down.
>
>At Thursday's meeting, several officials said, the
>presidents backed a proposal to have unions focus more
>on organizing workers in their core industries, an idea
>intended to get unions to stop undercutting one another
>in recruiting workers and in negotiating contracts.
>Under the Teamsters' plan, unions would have their
>contribution to the A.F.L.-C.I.O. cut only if they
>pledged to spend more than 10 percent of their budgets
>on organizing. The reduced contributions could reach
>$35 million a year.
>
>"What I'm picking up is there is growing sentiment for
>major changes, and certainly the current A.F.L.-C.I.O.
>leadership is going to have to respond one way or
>another to the call for changes," said Greg Tarpinian,
>a labor consultant and adviser to Mr. Hoffa. "Once that
>happens, then the next course of action will be
>determined."
>
>Ms. Mitchell, Mr. Sweeney's spokeswoman, said, "John
>agrees with some of these reform ideas."
>
>She said Mr. Sweeney supported some form of cut in dues
>payments by unions.
>
>Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
>
>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/19/politics/19labor.html?
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-- 
Paul Etxeberri

"Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow"   ---Chateaubriand