There’s some interesting stuff percolating up from the Central Labor Council front but first…a clean-up from a few days ago. Last week, John Sweeney, wearing his Federation president hat, issued a press release (see below) announcing approval by the Strategic Approaches Committee and the committee that deals with raiding issues of the officers’ proposals around organizing and bargaining.

At first, I scratched the old noggin’ wondering whether these were new proposals. After poking around for a few days, I think this was simply another chance for the officers to highlight their proposals made in Winning for Working Familes, the proposals first issued in April and, then revised on June 7th (more on that in a moment). I tried to get clarification from the Federation’s press person, Lane Windham, but she was not available Friday.

I hear that the joint meeting of the two committees was organized with only a couple of days notice. None of the principals of the Change To Win coalition attended the meeting, and instead, sent staff people who have no authority to vote. “Our guys, they’ve got unions to run, they’re all over the country,” one senior staff member told me.

According to this person, at the meeting, the staff people made clear that they were not voting but they were asked to give opinions by the participants at the meeting. But, as the conversation unfolded, though, they were essentially told since they couldn’t vote, their opinions weren’t going to change anything. “It was kind of funny,” said this source.

UPDATE: Lane just sent this along–“The news from Thursday was that these two committees of the EC [Executive Council] endorsed and basically put more meat on what the officers had proposed in the “Winning for Working Families” plan. The ICCs [Industry Coodinating Committees] will set contract standards once they’re formed for each industry – – so there’s nothing specific on contract standards in terms of wages, benefits, etc. The fact that there will be sanctions for undercutting industry standards (you could lose Article 20 rights) is a big deal and a big change. That seems to be the biggest news to me.”

UPDATE COMMENT: Lane is correct that losing Article XX rights (a union’s ability to halt any raiding of its jurisdiction by another union) if a union undercuts industry standards is a big deal. Remember, this is at the center of the dispute between the Teamsters and the Machinists. The issue of undercutting standards has been a big issue for the Change To Win coalition.

I also took the time to compare the two versions of the Winning For Working Families (oh, what I do for you readers…) to see what had changed. Here are the main points I found:

1. Somebody has been talking to pollsters and/or framers of message because all of a sudden there are a series of new references to family and faith and patriotism and, you got it, VALUES. Here’s one example: you know who we need to mobilize? “….people of faith and union members who are hunters and sports enthusiasts.” If that last one isn’t a poll-driven phrase…

2. Now, here’s an interesting addition. In politics, a sentence was added, “And we must use winning as our only gauge of success.” So, by that measure, how we doin’? Not well, I would say.

3. Here’s a two-fer addition: a gesture towards the insurgents (like the Carpenters Doug McCarron) and a mild warning to the Democratic Party. In discussing how the Federation will orient its program, it vows: “setting our political and legislative agenda and priorities based on the interests of union members and working families, not the interest of any political party or specific candidate.” (I added the emphasis).

4. Also on politics, someone took out a reference to leading campaigns in “union-dense states.” I suspect this was a combo, addressing critics in labor who hail from outside such states, and also a recognition of the mantra in labor and Democratic Party circles that the South can’t be written off (of course, you have to actually have a message that resonates with voters in the South but I guess that’s being picky).

5. A slight modification of the directive to make the 8 cent special assessment permanent at the Convention. Without that 8 cents, the Federation budget is in even more trouble.

You can do your own analysis of the two versions: the original April deal and the June revised version.

Lastly, the Change To Win coalition has officers: Anna Burger, secretary-treasurer of SEIU, is the chair. Edgar Romney, executive vice-president of UNITE-HERE, is the treasurer.

And you can visit John Sweeney’s campaign web site to see his vision, supporters and campaign statements. In particular, it’s worth seeing the emphasis the campaign places on the concerns voiced that the Change To Win coalition is sowing divisions inside the labor movement.

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AFL-CIO Top Union Leaders Embrace Proposals Giving Federation New Power to Enforce Contract Standards and Promote Strategic Organizing New Industry Coordinating Committees Would Be Established

(Washington, July 7) – – For the first time in the history of the AFL-CIO, top union leaders have voted to support a proposal to give the federation the power to develop and enforce contract standards and to give unions who are part of an industry-wide organizing strategy protection against interference by other unions in those organizing campaigns.

“Through the new AFL-CIO Industry Coordinating Committees, America’s working families will have a new, powerful tool in their fight against corporate America’s downward push on workplace standards,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

“The proposals accepted today significantly strengthen the ability of the AFL-CIO to promote and enforce strong contract standards and strategic organizing, while also honoring individual unions’ democratic rights,” said AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka.

In a joint meeting of the Strategic Approaches Committee and the Committee on Article XX and Article XXI Review of the Executive Council today, top union leaders voted to support the AFL-CIO officers’ proposals to establish and empower new Industry Coordinating Committees. The proposals will now go to the AFL-CIO Executive Council and convention at the end of July.

According to the new proposals, Industry Coordinating Committees would be formed at the request of affiliated unions and would bring together unions who represent workers in an industry, employer, occupation, or region. The committees would be responsible for establishing contract standards and a strategic organizing plan for that industry.

They would also set up joint political and legislative programs designed to increase bargaining power and membership growth. All unions with membership in the industry would participate and be bound by the standards and organizing plans.

If a union violated the contract standards, that union, under certain conditions, could lose the right to be protected against organizing attempts at facilities covered by the contract standards. Currently, if a union represents workers at an installation, other unions may not “raid” that workplace, according to Article XX of the AFL-CIO constitution. In addition, unions who are involved in organizing campaigns, sanctioned by the Industry Coordinating Committee, would be protected against interference by other unions.