[ En Español ]
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JOHN
J. FLYNN
President
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
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February - March 2005
In the October/November 2004 issue of the Journal, and
through a confidential telephone survey of members conducted
in January, the Executive Board asked members to share
their views on the future of the labor movement. This included
a proposal being circulated by some international union
presidents to consolidate the labor movement into a small
number of larger unions representing all types of workers
from different industries.
Whether the responses came in
through fax, email, or phone the message was the same.
BAC members value belonging to an independent union of
skilled masonry craftworkers, and they want the labor
movement to do more to get the positive message about unions
out and to organize the unorganized:
- Overwhelmingly, BAC
members oppose the idea
of being consolidated into a larger union, and believe
they should be the ones to decide if any change is
made in their union representation. Eighty-seven
percent of the members surveyed want BAC to remain
an independent union. In addition, 96 percent believe
they should have a direct say in whether BAC remains
independent or is consolidated into another international
union.
- BAC members do not believe that
consolidating unions will make the labor movement stronger.
Less than one out of four of the members surveyed believe
consolidating international unions into a few large international unions
that represent different types of workers would make the labor movement
stronger.
- The top actions members would like the AFL-CIO
to take to strengthen the labor-movement include
doing more to support union organizing efforts and promote
the benefits of union membership, educating the public
on the importance of unions, and engaging in more
effective and focused political action.
Three of the top issues members want the AFL-CIO
to focus on are health care, keeping jobs in the
U.S., and electing labor-friendly candidates.
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We do not believe
the way to strengthen a program or
institution that has endured for decades is by tearing
it apart. |
I
shared your responses in a letter to John Sweeney, the President
of the AFL-CIO, and offered several suggestions for
strengthening the labor movement. At the top of the list
was a recommendation to enforce the rules on raiding so
that unions stop cannibalizing each other to grow their
membership base. If roughly 87.5 percent of the workforce
is unorganized then there are clearly plenty of opportunities
to organize new members.
I also reminded President Sweeney
that as the oldest continuous union in North America,
BAC has managed to stay in operation when other unions
were forced to close their doors – a fact that is
contrary to the opinion of some union leaders that bigger
unions are better positioned to succeed.
Last,
I expressed our concern with those union leaders who
believe the only way to strengthen the labor movement is
by pulling it apart. Whether it’s
the labor movement or Social Security, we do
not believe the way to strengthen a program or institution
that has endured for decades is by tearing it
apart.
By the time you read this message, I will have shared
your responses with the full AFL-CIO Executive Council
at its annual meeting. And, on your behalf, I will have
reminded the other Council members, as well as the officers
of the AFL-CIO, that BAC’s members
are not, and have never been, generic union members. We are
members of a craft union that has a long, proud history
of independence, innovation, skill, and excellence.
If you have ideas for stories or issues of concern, let
us know by emailing us at askbac@bacweb.org or
writing to:
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied
Craftworkers
Attention: Communications Department
1776 Eye Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
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