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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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