AFL-CIO seeks $13 million for political fund

Brian Seals

Friday, March 20, 1998 | 10:11 a.m.

The national AFL-CIO executive council, meeting in Las Vegas, approved a resolution Thursday evening calling for a $13 million political "mobilization fund" -- an amount equivalent to about $1 per member.

"The essence of what was approved yesterday was to undertake an aggressive mobilization campaign educating our members and their families that the issues that are before us, whether they are issues of legislation in Congress regarding health and pensions or the attacks being made on workers and their ability to participate in the political process," AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said this morning.

Part of the money will be used to combat initiatives like the Nevada GOP's "paycheck protection" effort, which would constitutionally mandate that union members give permission for deductions from individuals that would be donated to political campaigns. Nevada Republicans are petitioning to have the question put on this November's ballot and a similar measure will be before California voters in June.

"We have a number of activists who are participating in the campaign and we will be educating the public about what this really means, which is really an attempt to silence working people," Sweeney said.

AFL-CIO spokeswoman Naomi Walker said the initiative is voluntary and that affiliated unions are being asked to give what they can.

While a portion of the $13 million will go to fighting "paycheck protection" initiatives around the country, Sweeney said it hasn't been determined how much will go for that purpose. Sweeney said some of the funds will be used for educational materials and worker training on how to speak out about union related issues.

Unions also oppose legislation in Congress to ban "salting," a practice where union workers get jobs with non-union firms to organize a union. Vice President Al Gore said Thursday President Clinton would veto such legislation.

Health care workers met this morning at University Medical Center with Labor Secretary Alexis Herman to discuss their concerns about organizing. Herman reiterated the Clinton administration's support of workers' rights to organize, as Gore did Thursday with Culinary Union and other workers.

Union organizing veterans met with Gore to discuss obstacles Las Vegas workers face in organizing efforts at non-union operations.

A recurring issue was that many workers fear losing their jobs for participating in union activity. And union officials say in some cases companies prolong contract negotiations after unions are established.

"He (Gore) was saddened by it and thought it was very wrong," Santa Fe Hotel-Casino worker Charlene Slaby said of the meetings.

Unions are trying to equip workers with education so they will have to the tools to fight intimidation and obstacles. When Freddie Lucero goes to work at his non-union job, he often sports his union T-shirt and bandana. That's something he wouldn't have dreamed of doing before he became familiar with labor laws as he tried to organize fellow workers at White Eagle Concrete Inc.

"I know my rights. At first I had fear of losing my job, not any more," Lucero said.

Lucero spoke of lack of water at some job sites and of paycheck deductions for half-hour lunches even when workers worked through lunch. Attempts to contact White Eagle officials Wednesday failed.

As the AFL-CIO continued its executive council meeting this week, union officials are hoping to make Lucero the norm, not the exception. But all too often union activity leads to termination.

Another story included Kathy Gamble, who said her non-union electricians jobs resulted in inequitable pay with her male counterparts. Slaby described how workers at Santa Fe unionized five years ago and still have no contract.

Andrew Klebanow of the Santa Fe said Thursday the company has had three meetings with union representatives since last June and has waited six months for the union to set another meeting. One is scheduled March 30, he said.

Workers had a sympathetic ear with Gore, who pledged his and President Clinton's support for workers exercising their right to organize. He said his travels around the country had found similar stories.

"I've heard some real horror stories ... threats, intimidation, horror stories of all kinds," Gore said. "We stand for a worker's rights to better their lives by joining a union if that's what they want to do."

Stories of ill-treated workers across the country will be much voiced this year -- Sweeney announced Thursday an advertising campaign that will relate the stories of workers and organizers.