AFL-CIO Council Plans Campaign to Win
Election and Legislative Victories in 2009

The AFL-CIO Executive Council has launched “Turn Around America” as part of its campaign to regain the White House, expand Democratic control of Congress and win passage in 2009 of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), universal health insurance and other vital labor measures. The latest initiative was the highlight of the Executive Council meeting in San Diego on March 4-6.

To put muscle into the campaign, the AFL-CIO will spend from $55 million to $60 million to promote the eventual Democratic nominee in the 2008 election. It will also include support for its endorsed candidates in 10 Senate and 55 House contests, as well as in three governorships, hundreds of state candidates and dozens of referendums.

Many millions of dollars will also be supplied labor candidates by the federation’s international union affiliates. For example, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees alone will spend as much as $60 million. Similarly, huge sums of money and thousands of volunteers have been allocated by three million-member unions of Change to Win (Service Employees, Teamsters and United Food and Commercial Workers.)

Winning big in the 2008 election is of paramount importance to labor’s future. It cannot win passage of the Employee Free Choice Act this year because it failed to get the needed 60 votes in the Senate, and it faces a certain veto by President Bush. Thus, while the AFL-CIO is initiating an aggressive legislative agenda, much of it will .be intensified in 2009 when a new Congress meets and a new President is installed in the White House.

In little more than 35 weeks, between now and Election Day, the AFL-CIO will work to educate its members on such vital issues as the right to join a union, universal health insurance, fair trade, taxes, employment and energy proposals. It will press for a second stimulus package that will include a 13-month extension of unemployment insurance benefits and construction jobs to repair the nation’s crumbling infrastructure.

The AFL-CIO will have to be on guard against more of Bush’s anti-worker proposals, but its main political task is to “set the table so that a new president and a new Congress can hit the ground running,” says William Samuel, the federation’s legislative director. “When that new government starts, several of the marooned measures, plus one very big one, will be ready to go.” Samuel was referring to the Employee Free Choice Act, which is designed to create a “level playing field” between workers and their employers in organizing and collective bargaining.

Early next year, “Turn Around America” hopes to mobilize one million union members to contact Congress with phone calls, letters, telegrams and e-mails. A number of unions have signed a pledge to get 10 percent of their total membership to be part of the million-member army for the bill.

AFL-CIO’s future organizing progress depends on the passage of EFCA, says Stephen Acuff, the federation’s director of Organizing. He says: “The best organizing in the world, without the right political environment, fails.”

We’ve come a long way — backwards. In the 70s, 20 percent — one in five — of the nation’s workforce were union members. Labor was united. We were able to organize, despite employer opposition.

But today, our leaders are so terrified of employer power, they are pleading with Congress to pass legislation to bail them out. If we have to depend on the favors of politicians, labor is in deep, very deep, trouble.

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