Dissident coalition formed

Thursday, June 16, 2005 | 9:38 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- In an effort to reverse declining membership rolls, five of the nation's largest labor unions announced Wednesday they've formed a coalition outside of the AFL-CIO to organize workers in their core industries.

The Change to Win Coalition also appears likely to become the vehicle for three or more of those unions to split from the 57-union federation sometime this summer.

"We believe the labor movement needs to be born again," Bruce Raynor, president of UNITE HERE, which 450,000 hotel, restaurant, laundry and textile workers, told reporters at a news conference announcing the coalition's formation.

The Service Employees International Union, which represents janitors and health care workers, and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union have taken the initial step of authorizing their executives to withdraw from the AFL-CIO.

Teamsters President James Hoffa told reporters he would seek the authority to disaffiliate when his executive board meets in July.

Only the Laborers' International Union has no immediate plans to quit the federation, according to President Terence O'Sullivan.

Joe Hansen, president of the food and commercial workers, said his union is likely to wait until after the AFL-CIO national convention in late July to make that decision.

However, Hansen said his union wouldn't accept the status quo. If his union quits the AFL-CIO, it would save $8 million in annual dues to the federation that could be spent on organizing workers.

Feeling that AFL-CIO President John Sweeney's recent effort to reshape the labor movement does not go far enough, the leaders of the five dissident unions want more emphasis on organizing workers in core industries where higher union density would give them more leverage negotiating contracts.

"We are frustrated with the AFL-CIO," Hoffa said, noting that the federation rejected a proposal that would have put $47 million into organizing new members.

The dissident leaders think the labor movement has put too much money and attention into politics while union membership continues to decline.

Sweeney, who the dissidents agree has enough support to be re-elected next month, issued a statement pleading for unity.

"The clearest path to growing the union movement and helping more workers form unions is exercising our greatest strength -- solidarity," Sweeney stated.

Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees and a Sweeney supporter, also issued a statement criticizing the move. "Forming this coalition is a step in the wrong direction because it's the first step toward a truly divided labor movement," McEntee stated.