Hollywood, Fla.
Why We Need to Change
Our labor movement faces a deep crisis: despite the emphasis of individual unions on organizing and politics, our numbers are in decline and our ability to impact the climate for organizing is weaker in an increasingly hostile political environment. The 2004 elections present the labor movement with an historic responsibility – to begin to turn the tide toward a worker-friendly government or face accelerating decline and functional irrelevance. Our future as a movement is, quite literally, at stake.
We have learned – usually the hard way – that none of our unions can go it alone. We cannot effect the kind of change at the community level we need if we don’t recognize and act on our fundamental belief that it is only by collective action that workers can exercise power. While we have seen the potential of state federations and CLCs in several parts of the country, our collective organizations at the state and local have – in far too many cases – been unable to be the effective organizations we need to help affiliate unions organize new members and win political victories for working families. We recognize the crisis and the urgency – what follows is a plan for change that will take a commitment for affiliate action that can implement the necessary changes.
Where We’ve Been
Many state and local labor movements across the country are being transformed through the New Alliance and Union Cities initiatives into strong, effective state federations and area and central labor councils, as local unions join together to agree on a program and participate fully in the organizations. Some of these organizations have accomplished remarkable achievements including using the Voice at Work program to support affiliates’ organizing campaigns; implementing the Ten Point Program to win political campaigns and to defeat ballot initiatives such as Paycheck Deception; and building powerful community alliances to advance a working families’ agenda.
While much has been achieved, there is far to go. Too many labor councils and state federations are unable to carry out the mission of the labor movement – in part because too many local labor unions have not recognized these organizations as their own vehicles to advance the agenda of affiliate unions and the labor movement as a whole – in part because there has not been a consensus on a common agenda for state federations and central labor councils – and in part because of organizational shortcomings and failures. We must build on the positive
foundation that has been created by New Alliance and Union Cities, and we must escalate and deepen the process of creating more powerful, dynamic and effective state federations and labor councils that can help win important electoral victories in 2004.
What We Need To Do
Consequently, the AFL-CIO, in partnership with affiliates, state federations and labor councils must implement a comprehensive review of our organizations and programs to enhance strategically critical state federations and central labor councils and to improve those organizations that may not be performing to capacity, or are not focused on our common agenda. This review should build upon and evaluate our progress through a set of standards being developed by the President in consultation with affiliate unions, the Executive Council Committee on State and Local Strategies, state federations and labor councils. The standards need to be results-oriented, define clear expectations and include an assessment of organizational capacity and inclusive decision-making. Ultimately, the responsibility for success lies with us all – state federations and local labor councils must function effectively to carry out their unique role in our movement – and affiliates and their local unions must take on the responsibilities of full and active participation and ownership of our organizations at the state and local level. Only by active participation of the entire labor movement can we have the effective organizations at the state and community level we need to achieve our mission.
State Federations
The Organization and Program Review for state federations should examine grass roots political power with an emphasis on year-round issues mobilization and member activism that will lead to effective implementation of the AFL-CIO’s Ten Point Political Program. There must be an open, participatory political endorsement process that includes an emphasis on the freedom to choose a union. Importantly, our state political programs must give attention to the careful targeting, recruitment and training of candidates including union members.
State federations should demonstrate the ability to support affiliates’ organizing campaigns through Voice at Work activities, especially using political influence to support organizing and the education of union members, elected officials, community and opinion leaders about the obstacles to organizing.
An effective working families’ legislative agenda should demonstrate an ability to develop a proactive agenda, including initiatives that advance organizing. In addition, state federations need to have a grass roots legislative program with the proven ability to mobilize around federal and state working families’ issues, as well as an effective internal and external communications system.
Effective state federations are those that include planning and coordination of programs through an inclusive process that assures the support of the state’s labor movement. It is essential that state federations demonstrate competency in all areas of their work, and that they utilize individual work plans, conduct regular evaluations, and seek additional training and skill development as needed. Resources must be used wisely and sound financial practices should be employed.
Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Councils
Central labor councils and area labor councils should demonstrate a proven ability to mobilize membership in support of affiliate organizing and labor solidarity and consistent inclusion of major affiliates in key campaigns and actions.
Labor councils should support organizing through Voice at Work activities including those that enhance labor standards and improve the environment for card check and employer neutrality.
Labor councils should build political power by having a member-to-member contact program that includes all major affiliates and a targeting plan for elections in cities, counties, and school districts that includes running and electing union candidates. Their endorsement process should include an emphasis on support for candidates who champion the freedom of workers to choose a union, and they should have a written action plan for accountability follow-up. Advanced labor councils should have the demonstrated ability to enact legislation and pro-union growth policies.
Community unionism should be demonstrated by the development of a working families’ agenda supported by key affiliates, community and political allies. Labor councils should have long-term alliances with the faith community, civil rights and constituency groups and community based organizations.
In order to have effective organizations, major labor councils should be engaged in the Union Cities Leadership Training Program. They need to have a strategic plan and the capacity and capability to deliver the program; they should have a yearly evaluation supported by major affiliates. They need to demonstrate an ability to expand and increase their resources. Effective labor councils should make the best use of technology such as the Working Families Network mobilization program.
Implementation
The state federation and labor council standards to be developed should be used in a variety of ways including:
- appraisals by local union leaders independently or in concert with their international unions self-appraisals by state federations and labor councils
- assessments of state federations and labor councils by visiting delegations of AFL-CIO Executive Council members, affiliate staff and state federation or labor council leaders
A report from the visiting delegation should include commendations as well as recommendations for improvement. Recommendations may include suggestions for structural changes in a state’s labor movement and reallocation of revenues in order to provide adequate resources.
The standards will provide guidance to New Alliance Drafting Committees as they develop the New Alliance Plan and subsequent work plans and budgets and as an integral part of New Alliance follow-up eighteen months after the convocation. They will also provide direction to Union Cities labor councils.
AFL-CIO and affiliate staff should collaborate in providing support and assistance in the implementation of the recommendations of the visiting delegation and there should be a follow-up assessment six months following the initial site visit.
What is Needed and What Results Must We Achieve
Affiliate support for the Organization and Program Review is essential to the success of this initiative: affiliates must partner with local unions in the assessment of their labor movements, participate in site visits, encourage their local unions to demand necessary changes and to support high performing state federations and labor councils.
The Organization and Program Review must focus on key states for the 2004 election where real changes and clear results need to be achieved. However, all state federations and area and central labor councils must strive to meet the standards.
The active involvement and support of the affiliates of the AFL-CIO is critical to the implementation of the Organization and Program Review. The results of these efforts need to be a revamped, year-round political program in key states and cities, Voice at Work support for organizing and contract campaigns, high-performing, competent state federations and labor councils and the retooling of state and local labor movements.
All of these elements are crucial to success in the 2004 elections and to building a stronger labor movement for the future.