Workplace Blog

NYU Severs Ties to TA Union

After months of hints and statements, New York University made it official Friday: It will no longer deal with the United Auto Workers union that represents teaching assistants.

NYU — the only private university ever to have a union for TA’s — said that collective bargaining interfered with academic decision making and was not needed to protect the interests of graduate students. “We believe that it is of the utmost importance to respect the principle that students are students and not employees,” said a letter sent by NYU administrators to students and faculty members, announcing the decision.

Graduate students immediately denounced the university’s decision and said that it might lead to a strike. “We have no choice but to escalate pressure,” said Michael Palm, a Ph.D. student in American studies and a leader in the union. “A strike is certainly a possibility. It’s a last resort, but all indications are that NYU is going to give us no choice,” he said.

Whither Labor?
Jerry Tucker Reports on the 2005 AFL-CIO Convention

Note: this concluding report on the AFL-CIO Convention and events
surrounding it will be offered in two parts. First, a summary and catch-up
on certain events and impressions of the week in Chicago; second, an attempt
to sort out and analyze these events, what they represent in a larger
context, and what it all could mean to this country’s working class.

One of the many reporters covering the AFL-CIO’s “50th Anniversary
Convention” commented on its conclusion: “well, it’s ended here, but it’s
just beginning out there!” He waved with his hand as if fanning a far
horizon. His point was clear: now the rupture in top labor’s ranks
precipitated by the breakaway of several large unions at the start of the
week was coursing its way to the union base. Open fault lines would now
appear in subordinate labor bodies in states, cities, and towns all over the
country.

From: Kim Scipes
To: CL News-submit
Cc: Kim Scipes
Sent: Friday, August 05, 2005 12:24 PM
Subject: AFL-CIO Foreign Policy–Final Report from the Convention

AFL-CIO Foreign Policy:
Final Report from the Convention

–Kim Scipes
Published on Z Net, August 2, 2005

As one who has written a number of articles about the struggle to transform AFL-CIO foreign policy into genuine international labor solidarity and to pass the “Build Unity and Trust Among Workers Worldwide” resolution at the recent AFL-CIO National Convention in Chicago as part of this larger effort, I thought I would post a final report of these efforts at the Convention.

The bad news is that “Build Unity and Trust” was not discussed nor debated on the Convention floor. There was some good news, though, and I’ll include it after my report. But first the report.

As you’ll remember, the California State AFL-CIO passed a resolution, Build Unity and Trust, at their July 2004 State Convention. Build Unity and Trust focused on AFL-CIO foreign operations, demanding that the top-level AFL-CIO foreign policy leaders “clear the air” about these operations both historically and currently, and called for a “country-by-country” account of what they are doing around the world today. Build Unity and Trust also called for restrictions on accepting US Government money, allowing this money only to be sought and used where it would not compromise the integrity of US workers, and where it would not make them look like they were agents of the US Government nor agents of corporate globalization. Build Unity and Trust passed UNANIMOUSLY, and was sent to the National Offices of the AFL-CIO for consideration by the Resolutions Committee of the 2005 National Convention. (Build Unity and Trust is available on-line at www.labournet.net/world/0407/hirsch.html.)

In late Spring 2005, the Solidarity Center (SC)–the international wing of the AFL-CIO–developed its own resolution consciously intended, I believe, to undercut Build Unity and Trust. This was circulated to Executive Boards of State AFL-CIO Federations, seeking their support. This resolution only praised the work of the SC, failing to report the criticisms of their work (see my piece in the May 2005 issue in Monthly Review, which is on-line at www.monthlyreview.org/0505scipes.htm ), criticisms of its relationship to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)–see my July 10, 2005 piece on Z Net at www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?sectionID=19&itemID=8268 –and ignoring the criticisms that over 90% of their budget came from the US Government (see Harry Kelber at www.laboreducator.org/solcenter.htm ). In short, it was a paean to the good work of the Solidarity Center.

On Sunday, July 24, 2005, the Latin American Solidarity Coalition and its Chicago affiliate, Organizing Group to Say No to the NED, held a demonstration at Navy Pier to try to force the Resolutions Committee to submit Build Unity and Trust on to the Convention floor. Between 80-90 people braved the 103 degree temperature at Navy Pier to support this effort, and then we held a very spirited march–despite the heat–over to Ogden Park, which sits just below the Sheraton Hotel, where most of the delegates were staying.

Both Build Unity and Trust and the SC resolutions made it to the Resolutions Committee, where they were discussed. However, a new resolution, apparently from the AFL-CIO Executive Council, ended up being passed by the Committee, subsuming both of the earlier resolutions (in actuality, killing Build Unity and Trust). It was this new resolution that went to the floor of the AFL-CIO convention. [The text of Resolution #54 can be found at http://www.afl-cio.org/aboutus/thisistheaflcio/convention/2005/res_54.cfm .]

AFSCME President Gerald McEntee, Chair of the Resolutions Committee, chaired the session where the new resolution on the Solidarity Center was presented to the Convention. There were 8-9 people who rose to speak to the resolution. The first four or five–reports I’ve gotten have varied on the numbers, and I was not present inside the Convention–got up and spoke in support of the new resolution (i.e., AGAINST the position of Build Unity and Trust), and after they finished, McEntee called out from the Chair, “Did I hear someone call the question?” Someone jumped up, yelled, “I call the question!” and McEntee’s gavel fell. And the resolution was passed by the Convention.

None of the speakers who wanted to speak against the new resolution–or FOR Build Unity and Trust–were allowed to speak.

So, the long and the short of it is that we were stuffed at the Convention.

The good news is–and I honestly believe there is good news–that this issue got out much farther and wider than it has ever before. Besides our committee members’ passing out fliers and talking to many delegates personally, we were interviewed on a number of radio shows around the country. The highlight was when Fred Hirsch and I were interviewed live on DEMOCRACY NOW! by Amy Goodman. Democracy Now! is broadcast to over 350 radio and community TV stations around the country, about half only having audio but half also having video. This report can be heard/seen/read at http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/07/26/1419259. (If you have DSL, check out the “watch 256k stream,” as there are scenes of the attack on the presidential palace in Santiago on September 11, 1973 that play while Fred is talking about AFL-CIO involvement in laying the groundwork for the coup against Salvador Allende’s democratically-elected government: it is very powerful video!)

And second, this effort was enough of a threat to the AFL-CIO foreign policy leaders that they had to obviously engage in anti-democratic behavior within their own organization to keep these issues from even being discussed on the floor of the Convention, much less allowing a full and honest debate on these issues. The AFL-CIO foreign policy leaders are afraid–and quite rightly–to have union members know what the foreign policy leaders have been doing behind union members’ backs, but in their names. It is hard to explain why a movement that endlessly trumpets the need for solidarity among workers has a foreign policy program that is largely (not completely) designed to screw over workers around the world. And a Labor foreign policy of overwhelmingly supporting US foreign policy, that means they are extremely limited in how much they can fight for their own members when they are abused here at home (see ).

And now, Labor Beat–Chicago’s Labor TV show–has just announced its latest show, “The AFL-CIO’s Foreign Policy and N.E.D. Money.” Larry Duncan just sent the following announcement, and I encourage ALL who are interested to support the excellent work of Labor Beat and to purchase this informative video:

“The AFL-CIO’s Foreign Policy and N.E.D. Money”

Prior to the AFL-CIO Convention in Chicago, rank-and-file workers held a protest and discussion about the need to reform the AFL-CIO’s foreign policy and the influence upon it from funding from the National Endowment for Democracy. Hear Kim Scipes, Labor Educator on the AFL-CIO and international politics, discuss the history of the AFL’s involvement with the foreign policy interest of American Imperialism. Also, an interview with Fred Hirsch, long-time critic of AFL-CIO foreign policy, as he and other opponents of N.E.D. funding attended the 2005 AFL-CIO Convention. Includes scenes of floor discussion on foreign policy resolution and reactions of supporters of “Build Unity and Trust Among Workers Worldwide” resolution, including Jeff Crosby, North Shore (Massachusetts) Central Labor Council and member of AFL-CIO Convention Resolutions Committee. Video is 29 min.

To order, specify title (“The AFL-CIO’s Foreign Policy and N.E.D. Money” ) and send a $15 check, made out to Labor Beat:

Labor Beat
37 S. Ashland
Chicago IL 60607

Indicate whether you want DVD or VHS.
Info: mail (at) laborbeat.org
312-226-3330

For international orders, email request to Labor Beat ( mail (at) laborbeat.org ) to arrange costs.

—

In short, despite the incredible disrespect given the California AFL-CIO and its (before the Convention) 2.4 million members by the AFL-CIO foreign policy leaders, this struggle will continue. We want to force the AFL-CIO’s Solidarity Center to break its connection with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and we want to transform the AFL-CIO foreign policy program into a force for genuine international labor solidarity. And we want the AFL-CIO (as well as the “Change to Win” Coalition) to become resolute fighters for working people both here in the United States and around the world!

See also:
http://www.endthened.org
http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/60035

Kim Scipes, a long-time labor activist, former rank and file member of three unions, and currently a member of the National Writers Union/UAW, teaches sociology at Purdue University North Central in Westville, Indiana. His on-line “Current Labor Bibliography” can be found at http://faculty.pnc.edu/kscipes/LaborBib.htm . He can be reached at kscipes@pnc.edu . For a compilation of “Key Recent Articles on AFL-CIO Foreign Policy,” see his annotated listing at http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/60035 .

AFL-CIO puts limits on working with disaffiliated unions

By Michael Kuchta, St. Paul Union Advocate editor — July 28, 2005

CHICAGO — AFL-CIO leadership drew a hard line Thursday, saying that state
and local labor movements cannot take money or otherwise work officially
with union locals and councils belonging to internationals that are not
affiliated with the AFL-CIO.

When SEIU and the Teamsters withdrew from the AFL-CIO Monday, leaders stated publicly that they want to continue working with AFL-CIO state federations and central labor councils.But such “selective partnerships” are “a form of free ridership,” AFL-CIO
president John Sweeney told delegates Thursday, both in person and in a
three-page memo. “They can’t have it both ways.”

Such “selective buy-in” presents “a direct challenge to the principles of
unity and solidarity,” he said. “We will not permit their actions to
undermine our work or our resolve…. We will not allow this federation to be
turned into an open shop operation.”

No picking and choosing allowed

Specifically, Sweeney’s memo enforces several provisions of the federation’s
constitution. It:

* Prevents state and local bodies from accepting per capita payments or
their equivalent from unaffiliated unions after July 31.
* Requires state and local bodies to remove as officers and delegates any
members who belong to unaffiliated unions.
* Prevents unaffiliated unions from participating in candidate interviews,
political endorsements, or AFL-CIO political mobilization and education
activities.

Sweeney did say local AFL-CIO bodies can continue to work in “coalition”
with the members and locals of disaffiliated unions.

“I recognize and appreciate that hundreds of local unions of the
disaffiliated internationals have excellent working relationships with their
brothers and sisters in our local labor councils and state federations. The
disaffiliation of their unions is not their fault and does not make them any
less committed to the ideals and principles of our movement.”

But, he said, “we cannot allow these organizations to pick and choose which
parts of the federation they want to belong to.”

Limiting financial damage

Sweeney’s directives clarify one question of how the AFL-CIO will address
the impact that disaffiliation by Change to Win unions will have on the
ability of state and local bodies to achieve labor’s goals in their
communities.

The AFL-CIO’s Executive Council rushed through a number of plans this week
to limit the financial damage from disaffiliation. State and central bodies
were instructed to send “impact statements” to the federation to provide
specific data on the financial distress they face. Some central bodies, for
example, say they could lose half their income if they cannot take money
from disaffiliated unions.

The federation raised its monthly per capita fee on unions that do remain
affiliated. Eight cents of the increase will go to the federation’s own
budget gap; 4 cents per member per month will provide emergency funds for
state and local bodies and fight raiding on AFL-CIO unions by unaffiliated
unions.

AFL-CIO leaders further pledged that if they collect any of the $8.5 million
that Change to Win unions still owe the AFL-CIO in back dues, it will
dedicate that money to helping state and local movements.

Further, AFL-CIO leadership created a special committee to develop further
plans for dealing with the fallout of disaffiliation and to implement those
plans as soon as September.

Forcing affiliates to pony up

Central bodies managed to force into the convention spotlight a flip side of
the “free rider” argument — affiliated internationals that fail to guarantee
that their locals fully affiliate members at the state and local levels.

Sweeney encouraged internationals “to step up and help build a long-term,
sustainable plan for full and fair affiliation by all affiliated unions.”

At a regional meeting of central body leaders Wednesday night, AFL-CIO staff
said officers of several large internationals intend to make a “serious
commitment” to correct that problem.

NYT Editorial: Solidarity in Pieces

It’s disturbing to hear the fracture of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. billed as the death of organized labor, particularly by those whose cheerful tone suggests that the sooner unions fade away, the better. Since we live in an era when the chasm between the lower and upper classes is growing, and the chances of moving out of poverty are getting slimmer, it’s hard to imagine that working people have lost their need for a powerful advocate.