Add the Teamsters to the list of unions that want to shake up the AFL-CIO--and add them to the list of those who want union mergers.
In the latest move in the debate over the federation's future, touched off by Service Employees President Andrew Stern last summer, the executive board of the 1.4-million-member IBT weighed in with its own AFL-CIO reorganization plan on Dec. 8.
"The AFL-CIO is spread too thin in its mission and functions and therefore is not as effective as it could be in utilizing its resources," the Teamsters resolution said.
The debate is more urgent because labor-backed Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry lost the White House, and labor lost ground in the GOP-run Congress, on Nov. 2, IBT said.
Like Stern's plan, the Teamsters call for union mergers to maximize strength in targeted sectors or regions. Unlike SEIU, the Teamsters would not force mergers. It wants the federation's executive committee--shrunk from 25 members down to 15, including leaders of the largest unions--to urge such mergers.
But the Teamsters also hold out a financial carrot to encourage mergers. They would rebate half of any union's AFL-CIO dues if the union commits at least 10 percent of its income or $2 million, whichever is larger, to direct organizing in "core industries" and if it creates a strategic plan to do so.
Smaller unions, the Teamsters said, would thus have an incentive to join larger ones that created such organizing plans.
"We believe our growth-driven per capita restructuring pro-posal will create an added incentive for unions who should seek a merger partner or partners to do so more quickly," IBT says.
"Those who pay the full per capita would have an incentive to merge with a union that already has a strategic organizing plan and has been approved for the 50 percent (dues) rebate since it would reduce their cost of AFL-CIO affiliation in half," the Teamsters add.
The rebate would also aid mergers because "through the economies of scale of being part of a larger organization, they would be able to free up 10 percent of their (own) per capita income for organizing."
"While it does not make sense for all small affiliates, simply by virtue of size, to merge, it does make sense for many that share jurisdictions with larger affiliates and which, on their own, are simply unable to effectively advance their members? interests in the face of powerful economic and political forces, to do so," the Teamsters said.
The Teamsters said the AFL-CIO Executive Committee--which now has 25 members--should be reduced to represent the large unions that bear the brunt of federation expenses. The Teamsters send more than $9 million yearly to the AFL-CIO in dues.
They also said the AFL-CIO should restructure itself to emphasize only a few core functions--such as legislative lobbying --that it can do on behalf of the entire labor movement, leaving the rest to its unions.
That would cut the federation budget to around $100 million per year, and cut its staff, IBT said.
The Teamsters plan, Stern's plan and another 10-point proposal, offered at an early-December conference on "Labor at the Crossroads" by Communications Workers Vice President Larry Cohen, are among the proposals the federation's Executive Council will work with until and through its winter meeting.
That meeting was switched from mid-February in Los Angeles to March 1-3 in Las Vegas due to the ongoing UNITE HERE struggle --complete with an employer lockout of workers--by hotel chains in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Other elements of the Teamsters AFL-CIO revamp plan include:
* "Reform AFL-CIO jurisdictional dispute mechanisms to establish area standards in key industries and sectors to inhibit unions from growing their unions by undercutting contract standards established by other unions.
* "Streamline AFL-CIO state and local field operations and structures by eliminating bureaucratic duplication of effort and resources between central and state bodies and the AFL-CIO.
* "Develop a strategic political and organizing plan for 'swing states' to increase union membership and political influence to produce a pro-labor White House and Congress in future elections."
AFL-CIO spokeswoman Lane Windham welcomed the Teamsters' plan, saying it is the type of initiative federation President John J. Sweeney seeks from individual unions.
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Add the Teamsters to the list of unions that want to shake up the AFL-CIO–and add them to the list of those who want union mergers.
In the latest move in the debate over the federation’s future, touched off by Service Employees President Andrew Stern last summer, the executive board of the 1.4-million-member IBT weighed in with its own AFL-CIO reorganization plan on Dec. 8.
“The AFL-CIO is spread too thin in its mission and functions and therefore is not as effective as it could be in utilizing its resources,” the Teamsters resolution said.
The debate is more urgent because labor-backed Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry lost the White House, and labor lost ground in the GOP-run Congress, on Nov. 2, IBT said.
Like Stern’s plan, the Teamsters call for union mergers to maximize strength in targeted sectors or regions. Unlike SEIU, the Teamsters would not force mergers. It wants the federation’s executive committee–shrunk from 25 members down to 15, including leaders of the largest unions–to urge such mergers.
But the Teamsters also hold out a financial carrot to encourage mergers. They would rebate half of any union’s AFL-CIO dues if the union commits at least 10 percent of its income or $2 million, whichever is larger, to direct organizing in “core industries” and if it creates a strategic plan to do so.
Smaller unions, the Teamsters said, would thus have an incentive to join larger ones that created such organizing plans.
“We believe our growth-driven per capita restructuring pro-posal will create an added incentive for unions who should seek a merger partner or partners to do so more quickly,” IBT says.
“Those who pay the full per capita would have an incentive to merge with a union that already has a strategic organizing plan and has been approved for the 50 percent (dues) rebate since it would reduce their cost of AFL-CIO affiliation in half,” the Teamsters add.
The rebate would also aid mergers because “through the economies of scale of being part of a larger organization, they would be able to free up 10 percent of their (own) per capita income for organizing.”
“While it does not make sense for all small affiliates, simply by virtue of size, to merge, it does make sense for many that share jurisdictions with larger affiliates and which, on their own, are simply unable to effectively advance their members? interests in the face of powerful economic and political forces, to do so,” the Teamsters said.
The Teamsters said the AFL-CIO Executive Committee–which now has 25 members–should be reduced to represent the large unions that bear the brunt of federation expenses. The Teamsters send more than $9 million yearly to the AFL-CIO in dues.
They also said the AFL-CIO should restructure itself to emphasize only a few core functions–such as legislative lobbying –that it can do on behalf of the entire labor movement, leaving the rest to its unions.
That would cut the federation budget to around $100 million per year, and cut its staff, IBT said.
The Teamsters plan, Stern’s plan and another 10-point proposal, offered at an early-December conference on “Labor at the Crossroads” by Communications Workers Vice President Larry Cohen, are among the proposals the federation’s Executive Council will work with until and through its winter meeting.
That meeting was switched from mid-February in Los Angeles to March 1-3 in Las Vegas due to the ongoing UNITE HERE struggle –complete with an employer lockout of workers–by hotel chains in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Other elements of the Teamsters AFL-CIO revamp plan include:
* “Reform AFL-CIO jurisdictional dispute mechanisms to establish area standards in key industries and sectors to inhibit unions from growing their unions by undercutting contract standards established by other unions.
* “Streamline AFL-CIO state and local field operations and structures by eliminating bureaucratic duplication of effort and resources between central and state bodies and the AFL-CIO.
* “Develop a strategic political and organizing plan for ‘swing states’ to increase union membership and political influence to produce a pro-labor White House and Congress in future elections.”
AFL-CIO spokeswoman Lane Windham welcomed the Teamsters’ plan, saying it is the type of initiative federation President John J. Sweeney seeks from individual unions.