John J. Sweeney, the president of the AFL-CIO, was re-elected yesterday for a 4th term. This comes right after a big fiasco in which two major unions left the federation.
The Teamsters Union and the Service Employees International Union left the labor federation to form their own group, called the Change to Win Coalition.
The Teamsters Union and the Service Employees International Union have refused to pay back millions of dollars in back dues to the AFL-CIO. These two unions made up 3 million out of the 13 million members of the labor federation.
Sweeney actually used to head the Service Employees International Union when he was first elected president of the AFL-CIO about 10 years ago in 1995. AP reports:
The dissident unions said Sweeney, 71, was elected on a platform of growth and change but had done too little to reverse the decades-long decline in union membership.
They also accused him of focusing more on building political clout for the AFL-CIO rather than on organizing efforts to recruit new union members. They said after 10 years in office, it was time for new ideas at the top.
“Despite the conflicts and even the divisions we’ve suffered, I think we all feel a new sense of clarity about our mission and new energy propelling us toward our goals,” said Sweeney.
“As I said on Monday, making things work for working people is what has always mattered to me, and none of us should ever forget what our movement is all about — winning rewards for work and respect for workers,” he added.
UFCW and UNITE HERE, which boycotted the AFL-CIO convention, are expected to leave the federation next. The AFL-CIO will lose a total of about $35 million if they leave too.
Chris is a staff writer for murdok. Visit murdok for the latest ebusiness news.
