Before we get further in our agenda today, I would like to have a discussion about issues affecting our state federations and central labor councils.

The delegates to this Convention have made important decisions about the direction of our movement and our priorities in the weeks and months ahead.

We have reaffirmed our commitment to building a strong and united labor movement that can advance workers’ interests at the federal, state and local levels and that can fight off corporate America’s relentless attacks.

We have adopted a bold plan to strengthen our movement at the state and local levels, and to provide the resources necessary to mobilize workers around legislative, political, bargaining, and organizing campaigns.

At this Convention, many of us have expressed our sadness, frustration, anger and concern about the decision by four unions to boycott our Convention and the decision by two major unions to disaffiliate from the AFL-CIO.

We will not permit their actions to undermine our work or our resolve.

The delegates to this Convention have made it clear, through your words and your actions:

We are moving forward, pushing ahead, in our fight to build a better life for working people in this country.

Still, it is a fact that the disaffiliation of two major unions is going to significantly impact the Federation’s finances at the national, state, and local levels.

The per capita tax increase adopted by the delegates yesterday will help ease the sting, and I thank each and every one of you for supporting the amendment.

But the fact is, the disaffiliations, if they last for any period of time, are still going to hurt.

And some of our state federations and central labor councils are going to suffer considerably.

The so-called Change to Win unions know this.

The disaffiliated unions are trying to cut deals and enter into so-called “partnerships” with some of our state federations and central labor councils.

This presents a direct challenge to the principles of unity and solidarity upon which our movement is built, and upon which it depends.

They can’t have it both ways.

We are one, integrated, democratic labor movement, at the national, state, and local level.

We must reject the “free rider” approach of the disaffiliated unions, who want to pick and choose the places where they affiliate and dictate the terms.

That’s not how we build a labor movement.

That’s not how we build strong, democratic organizations that can fight for workers.

This Convention has adopted a plan for building strong organizations at the state and local level and I want to spend a few minutes talking about how we intend to move forward after the Convention to implement these programs.

This morning, I am sending a memo to all state federations and central labor councils laying out our plans and you all should have a copy of it.

I want to describe what we plan to do and then I want to hear from you.

First, I have asked state federations and central labor councils to do an impact analysis that shows the effect of the disaffiliations on their organizations.

I have also asked them to give us information on local unions in their area that are unaffiliated, or underaffiliated, at the state or local level.

We will use this information to evaluate where the needs are most acute and where additional resources should be directed.

Within a few weeks, I will appoint members to the State Federation and Central Labor Council Advisory Committees that the Convention authorized in Amendment 2.

I will call a meeting of these committees in September where we will go over the reports from state federations and central labor councils on the impact of the disaffiliations and develop recommendations for the Executive Council to review and act upon at a special meeting in September.

We will work to provide the necessary financial support for state federations and central labor councils through several means.

Four cents of the per capita tax approved by the Convention yesterday will be used to establish a special fund.

We will use that fund among other things, to support state federations and central labor councils in financial distress.

The Federation is going to work to collect the delinquent per capita taxes owed by the unions that chose not to participate in this Convention and we will use some of the proceeds to help support state and local labor movements.

We will work to increase affiliation and participation at the state and local level by national unions that are underaffiliated.

We need every union to step up and help build a long-term, sustainable plan for full and fair affiliation by all affiliated unions.

At the same time, we will be pushing state federations and central labor councils to meet performance standards and benchmarks so that these dollars go to support strong, effective organizations with a winning program.

Finally, I want to say a word about the notion of “partnering” at the state and local level with disaffiliated or unaffiliated unions.

The AFL-CIO and its state federations and central labor councils have always worked and will continue to work with other organizations within and outside the labor movement on issues of common concern.

We work with Jobs with Justice, with the National Education Association, with civil rights organizations and religious groups on working families issues, on solidarity campaigns, on legislative battles and so much more.

We know that building strong and broad coalitions is crucially important to our work.

But we cannot allow these organizations to pick and choose which parts of the Federation they want to belong to.

We are a united, unified Federation and we will not allow this Federation to be turned into an open shop operation.

I recognize and appreciate that hundreds of local unions of the disaffiliated internationals have excellent working relationships with their brothers and sisters in our local labor councils and state federations.

The disaffiliation of their unions is not their fault and does not make them any less committed to the ideals and principles of our movement.

We must uphold the principles and discipline of a democratic organization.

At the same time, we want to find ways to work together to build our movement and win for working families.

Working together with our central labor councils and state federations, I am confident that the unions of the AFL-CIO will do so.

I am excited about our plans for moving forward.

We have set a bold, ambitious course for the future.

The unions of the AFL-CIO have pledged real and significant support for building the labor movement at the state and local level.

There is real commitment at all levels to making this happen.

Before we move to the next item on the agenda, we have a few minutes to hear from some of you.

Does anybody want to make a comment?