Sweeney Preaches Solidarity Amid Rifts

By PETE YOST
Associated Press Writer

June 20, 2005, 4:38 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- AFL-CIO President John Sweeney pledged Monday to do everything he can to hold the labor federation together amid a rift with some of the biggest unions in the country.

"Only our enemies are cheering" for divisions in the labor movement, Sweeney said as union leaders representing over 60 percent of the AFL-CIO's 13 million members lined up in favor of his re-election.

"The millions of workers who need us don't need to see the house of labor divided," Sweeney said.

At a news conference, Sweeney said the federation will continue a conversation with the five unions opposing him.

Those unions, including the AFL-CIO's largest, the Service Employees International Union, blame Sweeney's 10-year tenure for declining union membership and fewer worker protections.

Union membership has been on a downward slide for 50 years, now representing 12.5 percent of all U.S. workers. The private sector union membership level is 8 percent. A half-century ago, one-third of workers in the private sector belonged to unions.

Source: Newsday (from the AP), June 21, 2005. Click here to read the rest.