The Solidarity Charter program, established by the AFL-CIO Executive Council in August 2005 following the disaffiliation of several national unions from the AFL‑CIO, has made it possible to have a unified labor movement at the state and local levels. In states and communities across the country, local unions work together through the AFL‑CIO’s state and local organizations on common organizing, bargaining, legislative and political campaigns. In the three years since its inception, more than 3,000 Solidarity Charters have been issued.
The Solidarity Charter program has been largely successful in maintaining labor movement unity at the state and local levels, and there have been very few issues or problems in the program’s implementation or operation. At the same time, there are inherent shortcomings to the program, most notably that the Solidarity Charter program is no substitute for national AFL‑CIO affiliation and the rights and responsibilities (e.g., payment of national per capita tax, Article XX and XXI protection) that national affiliation entails.
The Solidarity Charter program includes an important “no-raid” principle the AFL‑CIO has used its best efforts to implement. Fortunately, with a few exceptions, instances of raiding either by or against unions with Solidarity Charters have been minimal, but when they do occur, these raids are harmful to the labor movement and disruptive to the Solidarity Charter program and the state and local unity it has fostered.
The Executive Council Committee on State and Local Strategies has reviewed in depth the Solidarity Charter program and the issue of raiding. Based upon this review, the Executive Council has determined as follows:
- First, in recognition of the importance and value of labor movement unity through the AFL-CIO’s state and local organizations, the Executive Council hereby extends the Solidarity Charter program (currently scheduled to expire at the end of the year) until the national AFL-CIO Convention in 2009.
- Second, the Executive Council reaffirms its commitment to the no-raid principle in the Solidarity Charter program and calls upon all unions to respect it.
- Third, the AFL-CIO should formalize and publicize its procedures for investigating and dealing with raiding situations involving unions with Solidarity Charters. Under the Solidarity Charter program, unions with Solidarity Charters are subject to having their charters revoked if they do not cease raiding activity. Repeated violations by locals of any disaffiliated union, or situations where a local union turns in its Solidarity Charter to engage in a raid, should result in a national-level discussion and could lead to possible consequences for some or all of that union’s Solidarity Charters on a local, state, regional or national basis, as appropriate. Noncompliance with the no-raid policy by an AFL-CIO affiliate could result in the loss by that union of the ability to challenge some or all raids under the Solidarity Charter program, on a local, state, regional or national basis, as appropriate.
The Committee on State and Local Strategies should assist the AFL-CIO in reviewing noncompliance situations and in making recommendations to the president on additional actions that could help bring about compliance. The committee should continue to consult with leaders of the State Federation and CLC Advisory Committee on these issues.
The Committee on State and Local Strategies believes the AFL-CIO should lead a unified labor movement, especially as we face the challenges of the 2008 election and the opportunities for workers and their unions in 2009 and beyond. The extension of the Solidarity Charter program between now and the AFL-CIO Convention in 2009 is in the best interests of the labor movement and the workers we represent.