AFL-CIO wants to be the voice of most workers, not just those in unions

[OhioChick]

June 13, 2013 at 7:00 PM

The AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor organization, is seeking to be the voice of all working and middle class people -- even if they don't belong to unions.

"I don't think this is a big leap to think that a union should have a broader definition," said Harriet Applegate, who heads the North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor, whose letterhead includes: "We're the people who brought you the weekend."

She said a "good job" is the universal desire for nearly all working and middle class people, regardless of whether they belong to organized labor. Most of what has come to define a good job, mainly decent wages, working conditions -- even days off, like a weekend -- are often the result of battles won by unions, Applegate said.

As many of these gains have been lost or compromised, she said, unions have been in the forefront of raising awareness about wage stagnation and income inequality.

More: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/06/afl-cio_wants_to_be_the_voice.html#incart_2box