July 27—With boisterous acclamation from a roaring, 2,000-strong crowd of union delegates and guests, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka and AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson were re-elected as the nation’s top leaders of the America’s union movement.
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| Delegates re-elected AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka and AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson to lead America's union movement. |
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| Union members cheer in support of the re-election of AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka and Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson. |
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“The changes we are making this week are an ambitious blueprint. What we do in the weeks and months ahead to move forward with focus and fight will determine whether we build the stronger movement we must have, that working families must have,” Sweeney said in his acceptance speech to thunderous applause, as delegates waved “One Strong Voice for Workers' Rights” signs.
“Making things work for working people is what has always mattered to me, and none of us should ever forget what our movement is all about—winning rewards for work and respect for workers.”
In nominating Sweeney for president, AFT President Edward McElroy said: “There is a new spirit in the labor movement. This federation is in fighting shape. [Sweeney] has a plan for the future. He is not one for bluster and stealing the spotlight, he is a man of substance and a tireless fighter for workers throughout the world.”
‘Together We Can Take Back America for Working Families’
“I can’t take back America for working families,” Trumka said. “You can’t do it, either. I can’t make our employers or George Bush Reward Work and Respect Workers—and neither can you. We can’t do it alone. But together we can.”
“I say to you today, where there are workers who are denied a voice at work, send me,” Chavez-Thompson said. “Where there are women who are denied their rightful places and fair wages on their jobs, send me. Where there is a child who is hungry because a parent has lost their job, send me. Where there is a fight against discrimination, send me. Where there is an immigrant who, because of his or her status is denied their rights, send me.”
While running for office in 1995, Sweeney created the office of executive vice president, enabling Chavez-Thompson to become the first person of color to be elected to one of the federation’s three highest offices.
A Bold Plan to Win for Working Families
The Sweeney team, first elected in 1995, has worked over the past months to develop a historic plan to improve the ability of the union movement at all levels to organize and mobilize its members for political action.
The team’s plan, adopted by Convention delegates, calls for major structural changes in the federation to better enable the union movement to fight back against 30 years of corporate assault, abetted by lawmakers who frequently do the bidding of Big Business and compounded by massive global economic changes.
It also provides extensive new resources for organizing and creates a year-round political mobilization. Delegates also today approved several measures to ensure a strong future for the union movement, passing several constitutional amendments and resolutions changing the structure of the federation’s governing bodies.
Delegates approved raising the per capita tax for each national and international union and organizing committee to 65 cents per member per month, up from 53 cents. They supported Convention action on Resolution 61, which establishes a special fund to provide emergency support to state and central labor bodies, to combat raids by disaffiliating unions and to assist trade and industrial departments.
Amendments 29 and Resolution 59 which commit the AFL-CIO to an aggressive, industry-based plan for strategic mergers between unions. Constitutional Amendment 31 reduces the AFL-CIO Executive Council to 46 members, including the three executive officers. Amendment 28 establishes an Executive Committee of the Executive Council. Delegates referred back to the Executive Council Amendment 32, which would give special powers to the Executive Council and General Board to take action in case of any extraordinary circumstances arising from disaffiliations.
In addition, delegates passed Resolution 26, “Immigration,” which calls on the AFL-CIO to continue to work to fix the nation’s broken immigration system by: providing undocumented workers and their families the opportunity to earn legal status; replacing employer sanctions with penalties against businesses that exploit workers for commercial gain; and ensuring equal and full workplace rights for immigrant workers. The resolution also calls for a legal future flow program to admit needed workers to fill available jobs, protect the wages and working conditions of U.S. and immigrant workers, permit unrestricted job portability, permit the right to organize a union and provide a path to permanent legal status.
New Executive Council Members Elected
Convention delegates also elected four new vice presidents: Larry Cohen, executive vice president of the Communications Workers of America; Warren George, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union; Gregory Junemann, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers; and Thomas Short, president of the Theatrical Stage Employees.
Three members of the Executive Council retired: CWA President Morton Bahr, Gloria Johnson, former president of the Coalition of Labor Union Women and United Steelworkers Executive Vice President Boyd Young.
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