More AFL-CIO Defections

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor..._ge/labor_rift

By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jul 29, 1:12 PM ET



WASHINGTON - The United Food and Commercial Workers, with almost 1.4 million members, will join the Teamsters and the service workers in bolting the AFL-CIO, union leaders said Friday.

The departure of the UFCW from the labor federation means the AFL-CIO is losing at least three of it biggest unions, with more than 4 million of its 13 million members and almost $28 million of an estimated $120 million budget.

"The world has changed and workers' rights and living standards are under attack. Tradition and past success are not sufficient to meet the new challenges," UFCW President Joe Hansen said in a letter delivered to federation President John Sweeney.

Earlier this week, the 1.4-million-member UFCW joined the Teamsters, Service Employees International Union and Unite Here, a group of textile, restaurant and hotel employees, in boycotting the AFL-CIO convention. The Teamsters and service workers announced at the time they were leaving the AFL-CIO. Unite Here is still considering its next step.

The unions breaking away from the AFL-CIO want to commit more money to recruiting new union members and complain the federation has committed too much money and placed too much emphasis on backing political candidates — particularly Democrats.

The departure is part of the biggest rift in organized labor since 1938, when the CIO split from the AFL. Supporters of the breakup note that labor made big gains while the two groups competed.

One of every three private-sector workers belonged to a labor group when the AFL-CIO merged in the 1950s. Now, less than 8 percent of private-sector workers are unionized.

[Spider]

somthinng needs to be done

[W*GS]

Originally Posted by §Pide®

somthinng needs to be done

About what?

[Spider]

Originally Posted by W*GS

About what?

Getting more workers into the Union

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Sweeney is the focal point. People just don't believe he's doing what needs to be done.

http://tinyurl.com/aehvq

[W*GS]

Originally Posted by §Pide®

Getting more workers into the Union

And who gains by that? Union members or all workers?

[Spider]

Originally Posted by W*GS

And who gains by that? Union members or all workers?

Depends now doesnt it .... you asked a question that there is no easy answer to , But in a city Like Denver , union Workers for the most part depending on the field of work that went union .... a City like Casper everyone benefits , limited work force , so everyone is forced to offer competitive wages for workers ......

[W*GS]

Originally Posted by §Pide®

Depends now doesnt it .... you asked a question that there is no easy answer to , But in a city Like Denver , union Workers for the most part depending on the field of work that went union .... a City like Casper everyone benefits , limited work force , so everyone is forced to offer competitive wages for workers ......

It tends to be the case that unions are more interested in their member's jobs being protected than in the rights of all workers. In Europe, where unions are more powerful, unemployment is much worse than here.

Basically, a union would rather have 1000 members getting paid $20/hour each and 250 people with no jobs, than 1250 people being employed at $16/hour. That's fine, but unless you belong to a union, their interests and your own as an employee don't necessarily coincide.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by W*GS

It tends to be the case that unions are more interested in their member's jobs being protected than in the rights of all workers. In Europe, where unions are more powerful, unemployment is much worse than here.

Basically, a union would rather have 1000 members getting paid $20/hour each and 250 people with no jobs, than 1250 people being employed at $16/hour. That's fine, but unless you belong to a union, their interests and your own as an employee don't necessarily coincide.

that is a downside to some unions not all though ...... a Union is only as good as those that run it