Even the AFL-CIO has union troubles
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The union that represents the AFL-CIO's staffers is in the midst of contentious negotiations with the big labor group.
Why it matters: The momentum behind workers is so strong lately, that even labor unions are having labor troubles.
Driving the news: After staffers picketed in D.C. last week, and two days of talks this week, the AFL-CIO proposed a revised contract to the union on Tuesday.
- Their last deal expired back in February and the last proposal from the AFL-CIO, in September, was overwhelmingly rejected — 97% of members said no.
- A vote on the latest proposal is expected by early next week.
The background: The AFL-CIO is basically synonymous with the American labor movement. It's the 67-year-old umbrella organization for nearly 60 unions — including the American Federation of Teachers, American Postal Workers Union, and Writers Guild of America — representing about 12.5 million workers.
- Many of them, including the UAW's autoworkers and Hollywood actors, are on strike right now.
Zoom out: Labor unions are resurgent at the moment — and unions are flexing muscles not seen for a while. So, some observers were surprised the AFL-CIO hadn't worked this out yet.
- The AFL-CIO "is supposed to set the tone for what the labor movement does," said Ana Avendaño, a lecturer at CUNY School of Law, and a former associate general counsel at the AFL-CIO.
At stake: The union says staffers haven't gotten a raise in nine years; and the best offer they've seen from the AFL-CIO is for 2.4% annual increases, well below inflation. Plus, they're fending off efforts to cut pension benefits.
- The stagnating pay is hurting retention and hiring, and the staff union has dwindled to 90 employees from 160 in 2016, two of the union's leaders said in a column for the Cap Times. This hurts the group's ability to help its affiliate unions.
- "The AFL-CIO once had an entire collective bargaining department to help unions navigate complex negotiations," they write. "Today we don't have a single staffer assigned to bargaining full time, even as affiliates like the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers in Memphis have been on strike for months."
The other side: The AFL-CIO "deeply respects the collective bargaining process and every worker's right to make their voices heard in any contract negotiation," said Ray Zaccaro, the AFL-CIO's director of public affairs.
- "We remain committed to reaching a fair agreement that honors both the important work of our staff and a prudent stewardship of our members' resources," he said. "We look forward to the Guild's response to this revised offer and will continue negotiating in good faith for a fair contract."
The bottom line: Even a union needs a union.
- "If you have a boss, you need a union," said Dan Gabor, the president of the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, which is the umbrella organization for the AFL-CIO staff union. "And that is also true for workers at the AFL-CIO."
