July 25—As a close partner of civil rights activists, the union movement played a key role in the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. Unions also were instrumental in passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to prevent wage discrimination against working women.
Since then, the union movement has spoken out for equality of all people regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, faith, age, sexual orientation, disability or immigrant status.
Meeting in Chicago for the AFL-CIO’s 25th Constitutional Convention, nearly 1,000 delegates will consider a resolution July 25 that will increase full participation of women, people of color and all workers in union membership and leadership positions.
Resolution 2, “A Diverse Movement Calls for Diverse Leadership,” reiterates that the union movement is strongest when it is united and inclusive. But it acknowledges the union movement has not completely overcome the barriers to full participation it continues to confront at all levels of the movement.
To ensure full participation of women, people of color and other underrepresented groups, the resolution proposes:
Increasing training and leadership development of state federation and central labor council leaders and staff to build capacity among a diverse group of leaders in our movement.
Accelerating efforts to attract and recruit a diverse pool of young people into the labor movement through Union Summer and targeted public outreach.
Establishing a federation policy that each national and international union and organizing committee’s delegations to the AFL-CIO Convention reflect the racial and gender diversity of its membership.
Requiring diversity in participation at AFL-CIO-sponsored and -supported conferences and training sessions.
Making the AFL-CIO a model of hiring and promotion practices for women and people of color.
Fully integrating the AFL-CIO constituency groups into state federation and central labor council programs and leadership.
Urging affiliates to sign a set of diversity principles approved by the AFL-CIO Executive Council, and requiring affiliates to report annually on the representation of women and people of color in their membership as well as in staff and elected leadership positions at all levels.
Requiring the Executive Council and other governing bodies as well as state federations and central labor councils to develop targeted levels of leadership diversity and plans to reach the goals by the 2009 Convention.
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