Z net Labor: Changing To Win?

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=19&ItemID=14091

by Dick Meister

October 21, 2007

The U.S. labor movement, split into sometimes hostile factions two years ago, is coming back together to wage campaigns aimed at recruiting thousands of new union members and greatly strengthening labor's growing political clout.

Although the seven unions that left the AFL-CIO in 2005 to form their own federation - Change to Win - remain outside the larger federation, they are pursuing the same goals as AFL-CIO affiliates, in some cases jointly with them.

The AFL-CIO and the seven seceding affiliates - some of the country's most militant, influential and successful unions - had argued heatedly over whether to put their major emphasis on organizing new members or on political activities.

"Politics!" said the AFL-CIO, noting that unions could not grow in strength and numbers until labor-friendly politicians reformed the labor laws and saw to it that they were strictly enforced.

"Organizing!" countered the seven unions. If unions put their primary efforts into organizing, that would be enough to reverse their steady decline. The numbers alone would cause politicians to side with labor.

But the two factions are now in effect putting equal emphasis on organizing and politics - and beginning to put much more money and much more effort into both.

FULL story at link.