Scary: AFL-CIO in danger of breaking apart

[devilgrrl]

AFL-CIO in danger of breaking apart

By Steven Thomma, Knight Ridder Newspapers
Mon Jul 18, 3:00 PM ET

WASHINGTON - It was supposed to be a celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the merger of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations into one powerful voice for working people.

Instead, when it meets July 25-28 in Chicago, the AFL-CIO is in danger of splitting apart.

Five of the biggest unions in the coalition are threatening to break off and form their own group unless the AFL-CIO dramatically shifts its emphasis from electoral politics to finding new union members. For a movement that's been losing its organizing muscle and political clout for decades, the showdown in Chicago could amount to a life-or-death struggle.

A split could reinvigorate a labor movement that peaked in the `50s era of industrial jobs and an economy largely inside U.S. borders - or it could accelerate the steady decline that started a half-century ago and has accelerated in the information age with its global economy.

more: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2270&e=4&u=/krwashbureau/_bc_aflcio_wa

[Deja Q]

1. They work for themselves and when they do say lines meant to work for us,

they say them so badly that they look even more selfish and idiotic. Which in turn helps nobody. Their hearts are often in the right places but their actions are why they are losing support. :(

While they are somewhat political, they did ditch their ability to work for us in favor of being excessively political.

Two sides. Same coin.

[Greyhound]

2. The unions are victims of their own greed and...

rampant cronyism. That's why they can't get a spokesperson that doesn't look like a 6th grade drop-out, and haven't done a thing for the workers for at least 20 years.

[HockeyMom]

4. My Dad must be turning over in his grave

[The2ndWheel]

3. With capital as global as it is

and as free as the wind to cross borders, unions have very little power these days.

[gizmo1979]

5. I work for a union

Why would you call us greedy?Do you call the CEO's that make 10's of million 's of dollars greedy?We worked hard for every penny we get.And union people are responsible for workplace safety laws time and a half without unions gone.Without unions we would all work for wal-mart wages.Do you think anything has been handed to us?In the 30's union people were killed for organizing.Nothing came for free!We still work hard to make sure all people earn a living wage.When you see we aren't going to make concessions you think that's greedy but you don't make a living going backwards.You people disgust me.

[wli]

6. dubya's been union-busting

Not much of a surprise, really.

[kevsand]

7. I have to disagree with the sentiments expressed so far.

The reason unions appear lazy and weak is because of a general public that just doesn't give a shit. Just like what has happened with the Democratic Party, the majority of people don't want to put forth even a minimum of effort to get involved and have a say in the agenda. Unions aren't weak because they're greedy and selfish, because when they are greedy and selfish it is our fault. Unions are weak because the majority doesn't care what WalMart does to our workforce and our economy. If people joined unions and actually went to the meetings and voted, they would not be weak.

This is, of course, a classic catch 22. People won't do this as long as they think unions are evil or useless, and unions will be evil and useless as long as people don't join.

The only solution, as is often the case, is to stop bitching and start working to change it.

[gizmo1979]

9. Amen union brother!!

There's power in numbers.We will rise to power once again ,the robber barons are reappearing benefits are leaving at an alarming rate,people will soon see the advantage of union memebership!!!

[kevsand]

10. It's kind of sad, really,

that people don't get interested in anything until it threatens them personally. The anti-war movement was strongest when we had a draft. The civil rights movement was strongest when minorities were excluded by law. The union movement was strongest when workers didn't have overtime or health insurance or workman's comp or retirement benefits or... wait a minute... where'd all that stuff go?

You get the idea. But this time around, it really does have to be international. No running overseas to get away from corporate responsibility. It starts here, but if it doesn't eventually spread worldwide, we're just pissing in the wind.

[Lone_Wolf]

8. Rebuilding the union movement from the grassroots up...

makes a lot of sense to me.