After nearly six months, the rift between AFL-CIO and Change to Win unions is beginning to mend in Minnesota.
Eight Change to Win organizations here announced Jan. 11 that they would sign "solidarity charters" and rejoin the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council.
Then, after a leadership meeting Jan. 23, Change to Win unions said they will seek meetings in the next few weeks to discuss signing solidarity charters with AFL-CIO central labor councils in St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth and Brainerd.
These councils have good leadership and "believe in the views we believe in," said Brad Slawson Jr., secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 120 and chair of Change to Win Minnesota. "How we move forward depends on how those meetings go," Slawson said. "We have issues we want to talk about, as I'm sure they do."
"We've always tried to keep a line of communication open and tried to work together where we could," said Shar Knutson, president of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. "Now that the charters have become available, we're very interested in sitting down and talking about them coming back."
Solidarity charters are intended to allow state and local labor movements to work together as if the split between the two national labor federations never occurred last July. The charters allow local unions affiliated with the Change to Win Federation to participate fully in local AFL-CIO organizations, such as central labor councils, Building Trades councils and state federations.
The charters include the right to vote, to hold office and to collaborate on activities, in exchange for paying per-capita dues and agreeing to mutual support in organizing and contract activities.
National AFL-CIO and Change to Win leaders agreed to the charters Nov. 16, but unions in Minnesota held back over unresolved questions about political and organizing activities, including ongoing competition between AFSCME and SEIU over representing child-care workers in the state.
Minneapolis received letters of intent to sign solidarity charters from the Lakes and Plains Regional Council of Carpenters; SEIU Locals 26, 113 and 284; the SEIU Minnesota State Council; Teamsters Local 4; UFCW Local 653; and UNITE HERE Local 17. Slawson said an application from SEIU Local 63 would be forthcoming.
Nationally, six Change to Win unions have left the AFL-CIO: Carpenters, SEIU, Teamsters, UFCW, UNITE HERE and United Farm Workers, which left earlier in January. The Laborers remain a member of both labor federations.
Compiled from reports from Union Advocate editor Michael Kuchta and Minneapolis Labor Review editor Steve Share. Adapted from The Union Advocate, the official newspaper of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@stpaulunions.org
Share
After nearly six months, the rift between AFL-CIO and Change to Win unions is beginning to mend in Minnesota.
Eight Change to Win organizations here announced Jan. 11 that they would sign “solidarity charters” and rejoin the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council.
Then, after a leadership meeting Jan. 23, Change to Win unions said they will seek meetings in the next few weeks to discuss signing solidarity charters with AFL-CIO central labor councils in St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth and Brainerd.
These councils have good leadership and “believe in the views we believe in,” said Brad Slawson Jr., secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 120 and chair of Change to Win Minnesota. “How we move forward depends on how those meetings go,” Slawson said. “We have issues we want to talk about, as I’m sure they do.”
“We’ve always tried to keep a line of communication open and tried to work together where we could,” said Shar Knutson, president of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. “Now that the charters have become available, we’re very interested in sitting down and talking about them coming back.”
Solidarity charters are intended to allow state and local labor movements to work together as if the split between the two national labor federations never occurred last July. The charters allow local unions affiliated with the Change to Win Federation to participate fully in local AFL-CIO organizations, such as central labor councils, Building Trades councils and state federations.
The charters include the right to vote, to hold office and to collaborate on activities, in exchange for paying per-capita dues and agreeing to mutual support in organizing and contract activities.
National AFL-CIO and Change to Win leaders agreed to the charters Nov. 16, but unions in Minnesota held back over unresolved questions about political and organizing activities, including ongoing competition between AFSCME and SEIU over representing child-care workers in the state.
Minneapolis received letters of intent to sign solidarity charters from the Lakes and Plains Regional Council of Carpenters; SEIU Locals 26, 113 and 284; the SEIU Minnesota State Council; Teamsters Local 4; UFCW Local 653; and UNITE HERE Local 17. Slawson said an application from SEIU Local 63 would be forthcoming.
Nationally, six Change to Win unions have left the AFL-CIO: Carpenters, SEIU, Teamsters, UFCW, UNITE HERE and United Farm Workers, which left earlier in January. The Laborers remain a member of both labor federations.
Compiled from reports from Union Advocate editor Michael Kuchta and Minneapolis Labor Review editor Steve Share. Adapted from The Union Advocate, the official newspaper of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@stpaulunions.org