Labor & Employment Law

AFL-CIO Leaders: We?re Building a Movement from the Grassroots

By Mike Hall

Between now and Nov. 2, the nation?s union members will mount the largest-ever non-party-based political mobilization to elect candidates who will fight for working families?especially when it comes to jobs and continuing fix an economy broken by the failed polices of the past, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a live webcast this afternoon.

The State of Our Unions webcast with Trumka, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler and Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker came on the first anniversary of their election to the AFL-CIO’s top leadership posts. (Watch the full replay here.)

During the past week, union members and others submitted some 11,000 questions online and via text and video. The leadership team also responded to a live question submtted during the webcast via the live chat tool at the AFL-CIO website.  Topics included the 2010 elections, jobs and the economy and the future of the labor movement.

Opening the webcast Trumka said:

Too many Americans are unemployed and too many underemployed?we think we can have an economy that gives each one of us a share of the American dream. [In the November elections], we?re looking for economic patriots right now, those who can help create jobs and stamp out  economic insecurity.

Political mobilization is just one way the AFL-CIO union movement is building momentum from the grassroots, Trumka said.

Lisa in Massachusetts, a union member for 20 years, submitted a question that said when she tells someone she belongs to a union,

they express a sweeping negative opinion of labor unions although they don?t know a union member. What is the AFL-CIO planning to do to improve public opinion?

Shuler outlined many of the new initiatives to help educate the public, including a new media campaign  and research and polling to find out how people view unions.

People have old negative stereotypes that no longer exist. We do a lot of good work we that doesn?t get noticed?When we start reaching out to young people and start educating them about the value of being a union member we think we can stem that negative perception.

In response to a question from Marti in California about the Employee Free Choice Act, Trumka said:

There is no question the Employee Free Choice Act has to become law and workers need it. EFCA is necessary so more people can get bargaining power and we can get fair share of  the economic pie.

The Republicans are locked in against but we have we have president who supports it along with vast majority of the House and Senate and the public? We?re working on it every day.. .Stay tuned because before the end of the year, you are going to hear something about the Employee Free Choice Act because we are working on it every day.

Several people posed questions about the Tea Party, wanting to know how the union movement can turn around a situation in which the Glenn Beck-fueled group has used “hate and a bad economy” to build momentum. Holt-Baker said it’s understandable that the deep economic pain many are suffering has turned to anger, but

the Tea Party has attempted to capture anger and frustration and using a tactic is as old as the beginning of time and that divide and conquer? they preach hate over hope.

We are continuing to educate our members and the broader community about what is at stake in this election?defining the  economic issues…We?ve got  to move forward in this country not backward.

In a text message, one person asked Shuler, ?How do you suggest we get more youth involvement in the labor movement?? Shuler said the AFL-CIO?s Young Workers? Summit this past summer and a series of regional youth meetings are just  part of an outreach to younger workers. She said:

We have opened the doors of the labor movement wider than ever before,  for women, for people of color, for young workers?we?ve got to make the labor movement relevant to young people especially outside the labor movement. We need young workers in unions more than ever before

We have to give them place in their unions, show some respect. Young workers do have a lot of creative ideas, out-of-the-box thinking  They have ideas they want to bring to the table  bring to the table. They want be taken seriously by the leadership.

Linda from Florida wanted to know what the AFL-CIO and other unions are doing to build a

strong union movement like we had after World War II? a grassroots movement available to everyone who wants better pay and better working conditions.

Trumka pointed to the success of Working America, the AFL-CIO community affiliate in signing up some 3 million members as well as to the campaigns by carwash workers, taxi drivers and others to win a voice at work and the growing mobilization of current union members to help all workers win union representation.

The session ended on an up note when Kathy from New Jersey asked the how workers replicate the recent victory of Mott?s applesauce workers and stop

corporations like Dr pepper/Snapple when they take advantage of loyal hard-working employees because of the current economy.

Shuler said the workers who won their strike this week built public support though social media like Facebook and used the blogosphere to pressure the company. Holt Baker said the company?s attempt to use the recession as justification to cut wages and benefits ?resonated with every working person in America.?

The entire union movement, the community, elected leaders, the incensed public all stood together for these workers.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on September 16, 2010 (boomark / email).