With debate over AFL-CIO reorganization heating up, the federation launched its own website on the revamp, soliciting suggestions from union members nationwide.
But unlike the www.unitetowin.org blog the Service Employees--the leading campaigner for change--started, the federation's site contains a series of questions and limits responses.
And because it went up, as part of the AFL-CIO's larger website, only on Jan. 3, it has received fewer replies so far.
"We?re starting this online discussion by asking you to help develop a strategic analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing our movement. Please give us your opinion based on your own experiences," federation President John J. Sweeney said on its homepage.
The website comes as the AFL-CIO's Executive Committee--25 leaders, including Sweeney and Service Employees President Andrew Stern--began sifting through reform suggestions on Jan. 10. It will send recommendations to the federation's Executive Council at that body's March 1-3 meeting in Las Vegas.
The website also comes as the federation asked all of its Central Labor Councils and state federations, including a 12-member coalition that already weighed in on the issue, to meet in Washington on Feb. 15-17 to discuss reorganization.
At issue are proposals, advanced by Stern and others, to drastically remake the AFL-CIO, making it more centralized.
Stern wants the federation to order union mergers, assign specific economic sectors to specific larger unions, invest $2 billion labor-wide in organizing, and earmark $25 million for a national Wal-Mart campaign, among other things.
He says that unless the federation revamps itself to meet changing workplace conditions and corporate power, it should be blown up as outmoded and ineffective. If no change occurs, Stern has threatened to pull his 1.6-million-member union out.
The federation's website does not contain recommendations from any leaders, including Stern, the Teamsters or CWA Vice President Larry Cohen, all of whom have advanced reform plans.
Instead, it asks respondents to check off labor's two top strengths and weaknesses, lists nine characteristics of the AFL- CIO, then asks whether the federation is strong or weak in them.
It also wants people to check off whether such things as labor's 2004 voting mobilization, the Bush record and the economy provide "significant opportunities" for the federation, and then explain in up t0 500 words how labor can use those opportunities.
The website lists threats to labor: "Hostile White House and congressional leadership; The conservative movement; Growing corporate power; Poor economy and its effects on bargaining; Lack of broad public understanding about the benefits of union membership." It asks people to mark those they deem significant and then write up to 500 words about what to do about them.
At the end, it seeks comments, including comments on the AFL-CIO structure. Responses already posted vary. They include:
"Pressure to lower and control budget costs are stifling the CLCs," wrote SEIU Local 4053 retiree activist Doug Bullock of Albany, N.Y. "Constitutional changes to make union organizations more democratic are continuously rejected by AFL-CIO, most times without explanation.
"Per capita money flows up to the AFL-CIO while little filters down to the locals where organizing and strikes take place. We need more democracy and less convention-controlled democracy. Direct election of AFL-CIO president and officers by the members," Bullock said.
"The AFL-CIO gives organizing lip service but doesn't come down hard enough on affiliates who don't strongly engage in organizing. Also the AFL-CIO needs to lead the organizing by example as well as education!" wrote Laborers Local 252 Secretary Treasurer David A. McMahan of Port Angeles, Wash.
"There are just too many unions," contends IBEW Local 11 organizer and political director Kevin Norton of Long Beach, Calif. "In the building trades some unions are barely viable and there needs to be a major consolidation. That being said, I don't think it has to be by the Carpenters' or Laborers' terms."
Carpenters President Douglas McCarron--whose union pulled out of the AFL-CIO four years ago--and Laborers President Terry O'Sullivan are both part of a "New Unity Partnership," a group of five union presidents discussing changes. The others are Stern and UNITE HERE's two presidents, Bruce Raynor and John Wilhelm.
Norton also complained about "too much bureaucracy in the movement and not enough ideas. It is time for some folks to get out of the way!"
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With debate over AFL-CIO reorganization heating up, the federation launched its own website on the revamp, soliciting suggestions from union members nationwide.
But unlike the www.unitetowin.org blog the Service Employees–the leading campaigner for change–started, the federation’s site contains a series of questions and limits responses.
And because it went up, as part of the AFL-CIO’s larger website, only on Jan. 3, it has received fewer replies so far.
“We?re starting this online discussion by asking you to help develop a strategic analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing our movement. Please give us your opinion based on your own experiences,” federation President John J. Sweeney said on its homepage.
The website comes as the AFL-CIO’s Executive Committee–25 leaders, including Sweeney and Service Employees President Andrew Stern–began sifting through reform suggestions on Jan. 10. It will send recommendations to the federation’s Executive Council at that body’s March 1-3 meeting in Las Vegas.
The website also comes as the federation asked all of its Central Labor Councils and state federations, including a 12-member coalition that already weighed in on the issue, to meet in Washington on Feb. 15-17 to discuss reorganization.
At issue are proposals, advanced by Stern and others, to drastically remake the AFL-CIO, making it more centralized.
Stern wants the federation to order union mergers, assign specific economic sectors to specific larger unions, invest $2 billion labor-wide in organizing, and earmark $25 million for a national Wal-Mart campaign, among other things.
He says that unless the federation revamps itself to meet changing workplace conditions and corporate power, it should be blown up as outmoded and ineffective. If no change occurs, Stern has threatened to pull his 1.6-million-member union out.
The federation’s website does not contain recommendations from any leaders, including Stern, the Teamsters or CWA Vice President Larry Cohen, all of whom have advanced reform plans.
Instead, it asks respondents to check off labor’s two top strengths and weaknesses, lists nine characteristics of the AFL- CIO, then asks whether the federation is strong or weak in them.
It also wants people to check off whether such things as labor’s 2004 voting mobilization, the Bush record and the economy provide “significant opportunities” for the federation, and then explain in up t0 500 words how labor can use those opportunities.
The website lists threats to labor: “Hostile White House and congressional leadership; The conservative movement; Growing corporate power; Poor economy and its effects on bargaining; Lack of broad public understanding about the benefits of union membership.” It asks people to mark those they deem significant and then write up to 500 words about what to do about them.
At the end, it seeks comments, including comments on the AFL-CIO structure. Responses already posted vary. They include:
“Pressure to lower and control budget costs are stifling the CLCs,” wrote SEIU Local 4053 retiree activist Doug Bullock of Albany, N.Y. “Constitutional changes to make union organizations more democratic are continuously rejected by AFL-CIO, most times without explanation.
“Per capita money flows up to the AFL-CIO while little filters down to the locals where organizing and strikes take place. We need more democracy and less convention-controlled democracy. Direct election of AFL-CIO president and officers by the members,” Bullock said.
“The AFL-CIO gives organizing lip service but doesn’t come down hard enough on affiliates who don’t strongly engage in organizing. Also the AFL-CIO needs to lead the organizing by example as well as education!” wrote Laborers Local 252 Secretary Treasurer David A. McMahan of Port Angeles, Wash.
“There are just too many unions,” contends IBEW Local 11 organizer and political director Kevin Norton of Long Beach, Calif. “In the building trades some unions are barely viable and there needs to be a major consolidation. That being said, I don’t think it has to be by the Carpenters’ or Laborers’ terms.”
Carpenters President Douglas McCarron–whose union pulled out of the AFL-CIO four years ago–and Laborers President Terry O’Sullivan are both part of a “New Unity Partnership,” a group of five union presidents discussing changes. The others are Stern and UNITE HERE’s two presidents, Bruce Raynor and John Wilhelm.
Norton also complained about “too much bureaucracy in the movement and not enough ideas. It is time for some folks to get out of the way!”