AFL-CIO Executive Council Announces Broad Campaign to Pass Employee Free Choice Act, Other Working Family Priorities 

The AFL-CIO launched a broad campaign for economic renewal today that includes an election campaign-style mobilization of millions of union members in support of restoring workers’ freedom to form and join unions and other working family priorities, leaders announced at a meeting of the federation’s Executive Council.

“Working families’ unprecedented grassroots energy and enthusiasm helped drive historic victories on Election Day, but that was just the first step,” AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said. “Entrenched corporate interests have signaled they’ll do whatever it takes to maintain the status quo. Today, America’s working families are sending a signal of our own: We’re continuing the largest grassroots mobilization in history to ensure President-elect Obama and the new Congress can deliver the economic change working people so desperately need.”

The Council called on the new Administration and Congress to address the current financial crisis with a comprehensive economic revitalization agenda. The agenda includes an immediate and meaningful stimulus package, an overhaul of our broken health care system, reform of financial regulations as well as trade and tax policy and passing the Employee Free Choice Act, which would restore workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain collectively.

“Unless we restore the power of working people to bargain with their companies for a better life, economic growth will not be broadly shared and income inequality will not diminish,” the Council stated in a resolution.

 The campaign in support of the Employee Free Choice Act and other working family priorities builds on the AFL-CIO’s unprecedented grassroots mobilization, in which 250,000 volunteers helped elect Obama and pro-worker candidates down the ballot.

“Our energy and resources will be deployed as necessary to turn around America. We recognize that nobody but the American labor movement will make restoring the freedom to organize priority No. 1,” the Council resolution said.

Elements of the campaign include:

- Expanding the Million Member Mobilization – a campaign in which 1 million union members signed cards of support for the Employee Free Choice Act;

- A full field mobilization program that includes a massive, nationwide worksite leafleting on Dec. 10 (International Human Rights Day), as well as ongoing union member-to-union member phone calls and door and worksite visits to highlight the importance of the Employee Free Choice Act in revitalizing our economy;

- Formation of a media fund to counter the onslaught of big business negative advertising;

-  State-by-state strategy sessions and mobilization planning.

The AFL-CIO today also issued a joint declaration with labor leaders from the other G-20 nations outlining a shared labor position addressing the global financial crisis in advance of the economic summit convened by President Bush and his G-20 counterparts.

The Global Union statement outlined four key elements for global economic recovery:

-  A coordinated recovery plan for the U.S. economy and formation of a plan to coordinate fiscal stimulus internationally;.

- Re-regulate global financial markets as a quid pro quo for government intervention to save banks and insurance companies. The deregulation of capital markets, excessive leverage in money center banks and the proliferation of complex and murky financial products has precipitated this global financial crisis.

- Establish a new structure of economic governance for the global economy by reshaping the global financial and economic architecture through new negotiations that go beyond the exchange rate regime.

- Address the explosion of inequality in income distribution that lies behind the crisis by ensuring a more balanced growth in the global economy between regions, as well as within countries, between capital and labor, between high and low income earners, between rich and poor, and between men and women.

The AFL-CIO’s Executive Council is the leadership body that guides the daily work of the AFL-CIO, and is made up of the AFL-CIO’s top three officers and 43 vice presidents.

Contact: Steve Smith (202) 637-5018