Teamsters, SEIU quit AFL-CIO

Published on July 26, 2005 By Island Dog In Politics

Not good for the democrats. Once again this is something that happens whent he left takes over something.

CHICAGO (CNN) - The Teamsters and the Service Employees International Union voted Monday to withdraw from the AFL-CIO.

The announcement came on the first day of the 50-year-old labor federation's annual meeting.

James Hoffa of the Teamsters and Andy Stern of SEIU told reporters they each notified AFL-CIO President John Sweeney on Monday morning in a letter after their executive boards unanimously agreed to disaffiliate.

"What John Sweeney has been doing has not been working and it's time to try something new," said Hoffa, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

He predicted to CNN that seven other international unions would soon bolt from the AFL-CIO and join the Teamsters.

"It is not done lightly. We have extended a number of propositions and ideas to the AFL-CIO to make sure that we could change the tide of the AFL-CIO.

"We have been disappointed over the last 10 years that we have seen a decline in membership," he said, referring to Sweeney's decade-long tenure as president.

Link

Comments

bakerstreet

on Jul 26, 2005

""We have been disappointed over the last 10 years that we have seen a decline in membership," he said, referring to Sweeney's decade-long tenure as president."

I would imagine their union bosses MIGHT even buy a less-expensive luxury car with the money they skim. After all, bribi... urm, lobbying lawmakers ain't cheap.

trueandfree

on Jul 26, 2005

With the shifting manufacturing base, we as a nation need a new direction from big labor. Perhaps NAFTA and other so called agreements would have a different face and maybe all of our good jobs wouldn’t be lost to over the border profit seekers. Truth is corporate America will only survive if the ride this disturbing wave of cheap labor over seas.

Island Dog

on Jul 26, 2005

I have seen many interviews and a lot of them are not happy because the unions organizations only support democratic candiates.

trueandfree

on Jul 26, 2005

Unions need to change with the times. Nearly every thing else has seen changes, and the union members deserve the best for their hard earned money. There is a reason why the unions are in decline, people aren’t stupid

KarmaGirl

on Jul 27, 2005

What Unions *should* do is become a partner with the businesses and work together to lower costs of manufacturing. By doing so, there will be a stronger job market and more money to hire new employees or give raises to existing ones.

As is, the Unions make is difficult and more expensive for the businesses to run. It also makes it possible for a poor performer with seniority to keep their job over a strong worker who is lower on the list.

The Unions could work the angle of co-employment and take the HR and benefits burden off the employers (similar to what ADP TotalSource does). They could keep the Unions financially healthy by charging a fee, and reduce the employment expenses by having a central area for employment resources for all the companies that they co-employ with. These actions would truly benefit the worker, strengthen the business and secure more US jobs.

But, they don't. Instead they view the companies as evil and do what they can to divide employees and employers. So, we continue on our downward slope and keep losing jobs.

bakerstreet

on Jul 27, 2005

"Instead they view the companies as evil and do what they can to divide employees and employers. So, we continue on our downward slope and keep losing jobs."

It's because they have their roots in socialist ideals, painting the free market as oppressive of "the worker". So, at their roots they are anti-owner, and in function they are corrupt and greedily self-serving. Add those together and you get a system that hates the owner for what he is, and doesn't mind breaking him for a profit, even if "the worker" suffers.

They just made a middle man with no more values than the owners they despise. Another fat leach. The problem is, the workers work, the owners manage and take the financial risks. The Unions just sit in the middle and leech, pretending to care.

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