It could be over already—at least as far as this meeting is concerned. Anyone looking for a radical change in the way the AFL-CIO operates is in for some disappointment. As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, it appears that the “rebels” (Teamsters, SEIU, UNITE-HERE, Laborers and UFCW) do not have the votes to push through the most radical restructuring.
What started as a debate over strategy turned into a political fight—and John Sweeney seemed to have kept enough of the unions in line.
It’s not even clear that the “rebels” really were on the same page on every issue. Forget the issue of Sweeney as the head of the Federation (it’s not clear that either the Laborers or UFCW would try to toss him over the side). When you start talking rebates, for example, which means cutting AFL-CIO budgets, which line item are you willing to cut? It’s labor’s version of “not my program” and I don’t mean that in a pejorative way—each union has different views of what’s important.
In fact, there is a proposal on the table to do the opposite of change: do more of the same. Sweeney and Gerry McEntee are pushing a proposal to significantly INCREASE the money devoted to political action. The budget for 2003-2004 was about $45 million (say $22 a year). The proposal floating through the hallways—hold onto your seats for this puppy—is to increase that amount to $55 million a year. That’s about 50 percent of the total AFL budget.
No surprise, I think that’s nuts. Yes, we had 250,000 activists on the streets BUT WE LOST. So, that’s going to mean that about 75 people at 16th Street are going to lose their jobs to make room for that shift to politics. Resumes anyone?
At this afternoon’s press conference, Sweeney, McEntee and Steelworkers president Leo Gerard downplayed the rancor and tension that has been evident throughout the last day or so, not to mention the past few months. Gerard, who I like and think has good intentions, termed it no more hostile than an average membership meeting prior to a contract negotiation. Ahem…At the Executive Committee meeting yesterday (the Executive Committee is the biggest unions and is a subset of the entire Executive Council…got that?), McEntee called Andy Stern a “hypocrite” and other niceties such as “motherfucker” bounced off the walls.
Having said that, don’t count on this being the final word. It’s certainly not the last shot—perhaps Sweeney won the fight but the war may drag on for many months until the July convention, and beyond. After all, the sad part is that if this ended up being a political fight, it missed the opportunity to truly grapple with an answer to the nagging question: what is labor’s strategy?
“It isn’t labor’s finest hour,” said one weary and disappointed senior leader.
