Workers Joining AFL-CIO Unions at Highest Rate in Two Generations

[Omaha Steve]

by James Parks, Sep 21, 2007

The highest priority of the union movement is to help more workers join unions and, in doing so, to open the doors for millions of Americans to enjoy the benefits of union membership. Despite the incessant anti-union efforts of the Bush administration and employers, the union movement is growing.

The AFL-CIO and its affiliates are working hard to change to organize and train a new generation of organizers—and those efforts are paying off. Workers are choosing to join unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO at the highest rate in two generations, the Organizing Department reported today at the Executive Council meeting in Washington, D.C.

According to the report, 560 organizers have gone through the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute training program this year. The department also is working with 15 affiliated unions to assist them in their “change to organize” programs, and our Center for Strategic Research is assisting in nine major organizing campaigns.



Between 2004 and 2006, according to documents filed with the U.S. Labor Department, the combined growth of AFL-CIO unions rose by 1.42 percent, a net gain of 136,000 members.

The organizing report cited the notable growth of several unions in net members, including AFSCME, which gained more than 120,000 members, the largest gain in the union movement. Some 56,000 workers became members of the Postal Workers, another 37,000 employees joined the Machinists, and nearly 66,000 entertainment workers chose the Screen Actors Guild.

Ten unions grew by more than 10 percent between 2004 and 2006, and the largest private-sector union victory in recent years came in 2005 and 2006 when 20,000 workers at Cingular Wireless joined the Communications Workers of America.

FULL story at link.

[NMDemDist2]

1. good n/t