Top U.S. Union Leaders
Come to L.A.by Linda Dove
February 20th was a historic day for unions. The same day Ford was reported as siding with its union against a seat-making subcontractor, the executive board of the AFL-CIO was holding its annual meeting here in L.A. Florida has been the site of this union meeting for decades but, keeping up the momentum of its recent militancy, the new leadership came to L.A., encouraged by the upsurge of labor activism here.
Leaping at this opportunity, UCLA organized a Teach-In at which AFL-CIO President John Sweeney addressed a big crowd. State Senator Tom Hayden, running for L.A. mayor, also spoke. It felt like a time-warp with a folk singer warbling 'The Times They Are A-changing.' Strikers from the Detroit Free Press and the New Otani Hotel in downtown L.A. urged support for their boycotts and United Farm Workers in vibrant red tee-shirts described their new campaign for strawberry pickers. Times have changed - Ralphs supermarkets are supporting the unionizing drive!
At the morning session Richard Trumka, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, explained how they are now committed to spending one-third of their budget on organizing to rekindle the union movement and passionately declared "most important, we have a new organizing attitude!"
You-nion
'Ask A Working Woman' surveys from the AFL-CIO's Working Women's Department were handed out, as were leaflets from several current strikes and organizing drives. There were a dozen workshops to choose from, including one on 'Labor, Media & the Entertainment Industry' with Sumi Haru of SAG and Bruce Doering of Local 600 IATSE. Perhaps a new spirit is growing among entertainment unions, co-operation rather than competition - SAG is combining with AFTRA, and Local 600 is the new amalgamation of L.A.'s camera local 695 and New York's camera local. These unions have clearly concluded that divisions by craft or geography are out-moded.
Editors Guild members might wonder what they could possibly have in common with strawberry pickers and hotel workers. It is worth remembering that, in 1993, when the IATSE held a solidarity rally to strengthen its hand during contract negotiations, the United Farm Workers provided the most powerful and visible support there. The Motion Picture Editors Guild is a union, members organizing together to improve pay and working conditions. Mutual support, solidarity, is ultimately where its power lies. And remember, 'union' begins with you.
