The landscape of union involvement in politics remains uncertain as the AFL-CIO convention concludes and the upcoming UAW convention looms on the horizon. The growing diversity in political beliefs among union members adds complexity to this evolving scenario.
AFL-CIO’s Gathering Highlights
The AFL-CIO, the largest labor organization in the United States, held its convention in Minneapolis this week. The agenda focused on union organizing during the Trump administration and the approaching midterm elections. NPR’s Don Gonyea provides insight into the event.
The convention commenced with the re-election of AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. In her acceptance speech, Shuler underscored a significant achievement.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
LIZ SHULER: “We said – if you remember, we said we would organize a million new workers over the next 10 years. Well guess what? We got it done in three.”
Despite such triumphs, daunting challenges persist. Union representation remains around 10% of the national workforce. When Shuler initially assumed office, former President Joe Biden was in power, advocating strongly for unions. However, during President Trump’s second term, significant cuts to federal union jobs were announced, and policies favoring corporations over worker rights were implemented.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SHULER: “When Donald Trump ripped away the collective bargaining of 1 million federal workers – the single biggest act of union busting in American history – did we back down?”
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Shouting) No.
SHULER: “Hell no.”
Impact of Political Climate on Unions
The current political environment was a prominent theme at the convention, which selected Minneapolis as its venue. This city witnessed significant protests against federal immigration enforcement actions under the Trump administration, leading to the tragic deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Bernie Burnham, head of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, emphasized the union’s commitment to supporting the community and challenging such actions.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BERNIE BURNHAM: “They know that if they send ICE into any of your communities, you will fight just as hard as we did.”
(APPLAUSE)
BURNHAM: “And they know the labor movement will be there every single step of the way.”
Organizations like the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, with its 140,000 members, highlight the disruptive impact of Trump policies. Jimmy Williams, the union’s president, described the chilling effect on workers, both union and nonunion.
JIMMY WILLIAMS: “It’s a chilling effect amongst all workers, right? Not just union members, but nonunion workers, too. They go to work scared to death every single day and won’t speak out when there’s workplace issues, right? Because they’re afraid that going to work is going to cause a problem for them, so they just put their head down, go to work and don’t speak out.”
Looking Forward
As the political landscape shifts, union leaders observe changes in member support. In some unions, despite a decline in Trump support, members are not necessarily gravitating towards Democrats. President Shuler stresses the importance of engaging members through social media, targeted messaging, and direct conversations to convey their message effectively.
SHULER: “And so that’s what I have seen that we’ve pivoted into more is just the humanity of what we’re living through right now. And, you know, it’s political in the sense that ultimately it will be pointing to an election. But in the meantime, we can continue to have those conversations, and, you know, people open up.”
As the union strategizes for the upcoming election, Shuler believes that if they succeed in their efforts, the collective voices of their members will be clearly heard this fall.
Comments are closed.