What's going on with the AFL-CIO?

[AX10]

Why is there a split. The first union in some time that could make a positive impact for labor everywhere is now divided? What happened?

[Smirking_Chimp]

1. dlc support of cafta

[sandnsea]

3. Excuse me?

Both factions were against CAFTA. Don't get your point.

[Smirking_Chimp]

6. they wanted to stop giving strictly to dems...

who don't support their positions, whereas the other side is biz as usual.

[lvx35]

7. No, its a difference in approach.

AFL-CIO just came out opposing the war, and are moving to grassroots organizing for a broader cause. Teamsters et al want to focus specifically on labor and not get involved in the broader campaign. They're both good guys, both on our side. But they have different game plans at this point. Its fine.

[sandnsea]

8. They want to give to Republicans

Because low income worker's social values more closely relate to the Republican Party. Low income workers like those at Wal-Mart, who will eventually organize with the Teamsters, Food Workers, Service Employees; hmmm...

[enigami]

2. imploding n/t

[gatorboy]

4. These days it's kinda hard to keep the scabs from taking your job...

When they're in India

[Coastie for Truth]

5. In a way it all happened so fast

in the late 60's and early 70's the unions carried the day with ERISA and OSHA.

Then - first the invasion of the Japanese cars -- then Japanese steel --then Reagan broke the Air Traffic Controllers Union (brutally) -- then Phelps-Dodge broke the copper miners -- and Chrysler was in Chapter 11.

Barely a decade later the Bankruptcy Courts ruled that bankruptcy trumped Pension Plans and Post-Retirement health Plans.

And, in this decade, employers replaced "Defined Benefit Pension Plans" with "Defined Contribution Savings Plans" - and raised employee contributions and co-pays and deductibles on health plans -- and cut out retiree health plans.

Without the Union's actuaries and accountants and benefit analysts -- you are negotiating a collective bargaining agreement in the dark.

And - what a lot of people forget -- a lot of our progressive local government elected officials came out out of the ranks of union local officers and union bureaucrats (in my home town every single Democratic judge had been a union lawyer in a small law firm).

I grew up in the Rust Belt -- and the Democrat Party had four bases and "farm teams"

1) The Unions - including Local officers and Shop Stewards
and the "support staff" of small law firms and CPA firms, etc,
2) The academic community (including the Progressive Clubs - altho some of #1 were in the clubs)
Although not necessarily part of the academic community - the faith based liberals acted in parallel with academic community - and supported the same progressive goals.
3) The public employees
4) The Mafia.

We are, effectively (or ineffectively), up the proverbial creek without a paddle.
Unions are gone. The academics are blogging. The public employees are being crushed. The Mafia is with the GOP