The AFL-CIO Executive Council on Nov. 14 renewed the federation’s solidarity charter program, allowing locals of disaffiliated unions to continue participating in local, state and regional AFL-CIO labor bodies. The council extended the solidarity charter program through the end of 2008.“We need to ensure that the labor movement stays unified at the state and local level by extending the solidarity charter program,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney during a meeting of the executive council, the 46-member leadership body of the AFL-CIO, which includes SIU President Michael Sacco.
The AFL-CIO has issued more than 2,500 charters to more than 1,300 local unions, who often affiliate at both the state and local level. The program was launched in August 2005 and had been set to expire at the end of 2006.
“During this past year (2006), maintaining unity at the grassroots level has enabled our local central bodies and state federations to remain strong voices for the union movement … in our communities and in our state governments,” read the statement on solidarity charters released by the executive council. “The value of a united movement was seen clearly in the recent elections…. Local unions that would not have been able to participate in labor’s mobilization instead were key partners in a stunning set of labor-led victories.”
The statement pointed out that the program has had some problems, such as the fact that the AFL-CIO and the disaffiliated unions have still not reached a “fair share” agreement on the disaffiliated national unions helping to fund the local bodies. There has also been some attempted raiding among unions, which is prohibited under the solidarity charters.
“The charters allow us to continue to work together. Most of the disaffiliated unions’ locals have affiliated with us. They’ve been active in our political programs and our issue work,” said Shar Knutson, chairwoman of the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation.
“Solidarity charters are essential for us,” said Charlie Flemming, president of the Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council. “We’re in a ‘right- to-work’ state. We can’t do what we need to do without all the unions. We have to have the community, the religious groups, everybody.”
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