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Minnesota labor split on national labor split
by Bob Kelleher, Minnesota Public Radio
July 29, 2005

Minnesota AFL-CIO President Ray Waldron says the national departure of the Teamsters and the SEIU is embarassing, but he believes there are no similar rifts in the Minnesota labor movement (Image courtesy of the Minnesota DFL)

Minnesota labor leaders have returned from an historic AFL-CIO convention. The Teamsters and The Service Employees International Union say they're leaving the AFL-CIO to form a new organization. Some Minnesotans worry the defections will hurt organized labor, but others think the move might pump new life into a stagnant labor movement.

Duluth, Minn. — The rift sent shock waves through organized labor. The AFL-CIO has been a single mouthpiece for labor since it came together in the 1950s. Now, it stands to be the larger of two national labor groups.

A handful of unions have formed the Change to Win Coalition. They want more emphasis on recruiting, while AFL-CIO leadership wants to put resources into political work.

It's a fight Ray Waldron says is a bit embarrassing. He's President of the Minnesota AFL-CIO

"We had our national leaders - general presidents of each of these wonderful organizations - shooting at each other, all under the banner of solidarity," Waldron says. "And in Minnesota, we just haven't had that."

In Minnesota, the Teamsters don't belong to the state AFL-CIO. But the Service Employees International Union did until Monday; and they'll be taking 27,000 workers out of the AFL-CIO's statewide membership of 426,000.

Waldron says the defections will hurt local labor councils and the operations of the state AFL-CIO.

"It's a big loss, and we regret the loss," says Waldron. "I think if you set aside the economic portion of that, it's just the personal loss that we'll be suffering: working with such good, strong leaders and young activists that the SEIU have in their union."

But Waldron says Minnesota labor works together, and he doesn't expect that to change.

The SEIU is one of the nation's fastest growing unions. Local 113 is one of four in Minnesota, and represents health care workers. Local President Julie Schnell says the union has a different face than traditional industry based labor.

"And it's largely been people of color, immigrants and working women," Schnell says. "In Minnesota, just as an example, we have 700 new security officers. We have 450 new members in St. Francis and Owatonna Hospitals. And then in December of last year we kicked off a campaign to organize child care workers in Minnesota."

Schnell says her union and the other coalition members have fundamental differences with the AFL-CIO.

"It's about, you know, growing; union density; focusing; uniting workers in the same industry," Schnell says. "It's about setting pay and benefit standards in whole industries. And it's about accountability rather than trying to make change through consensus."

Schnell doesn't agree the split will weaken labor. She says it's an exciting time. And she says the SEIU will continue working on political issues with Minnesota Labor, and will continue participating in local labor councils.

The bigger threat now might be keeping other coalition unions within the AFL-CIO. Duluth Labor Body President Al Netland worries about the Food and Commercial Workers Union, which boycotted the Chicago convention. If they join the defection, the Duluth labor body would feel pain.

"I mean, if the Food and Commercial Workers Union are no longer affiliated; they have a large local in our area," says Netland. "You know, about 1,100 members in Duluth are affiliated with us. That will financially hurt, and we'll have to find other ways to try and work with them. But it will have an impact, yes."

Duluth College of St. Scholastica economist Tony Barrett says the rift won't weaken labor's voice as much as it changes the political dynamic of who speaks for labor.

"I really think this is the beginning of the end of the AFL-CIO as the spokesman for unions," Barrett says. "Without a doubt, that's happening. Now, whether that's good or bad, and whether the splinter groups are going to be more effective organizers, only time will tell. I personally think this is not going to make that much of a difference in the number of people that are organized."

The AFL-CIO's general board meets in August to gauge the fallout. Meanwhile, coalition members are expected to meet in September for a constitutional convention of sorts, to form the new organization.