Plan In Works To Reunite National Labor Federation

[babylonsister]

Labor Calls for Unity After Years of Division

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Published: January 7, 2009


The presidents of 12 of the nation’s largest labor unions called Wednesday for reuniting the American labor movement, which split apart three and a half years ago when seven unions left the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and formed a rival federation.

The union presidents issued their joint call after the transition team for President-elect Barack Obama signaled that it would prefer dealing with a united movement, rather than a fractured one that often had two competing voices.

David E. Bonior, a member of Mr. Obama’s economic transition team who withdrew from consideration as labor secretary, helped arrange and oversee a meeting of the union presidents on Wednesday in Washington.

The leaders are hoping, by April 15, to approve a plan to reunify, one union official said. But some officials said they might fail to reach agreement.

Mr. Bonior, a former House majority whip, said he would organize meetings with labor leaders over the next few weeks in the hope of hammering out details about what form a reunified labor federation would take.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/us/08labor.html?_r=1&ref=us

[kevsand]

1. This would be absolutely the best thing they could do.

The split was unbelievably stupid, and as far as I could tell, not supported at all by the rank and file, who were never consulted. It was basically just a couple of rich white guys in a pissing match. Time to close ranks.