Uniting the five unions, which represent a variety of industries including construction, is the goal of expanding organizing efforts and growing market share. "Workers cannot win a better life unless more workers belong to unions," the coalition states. Each of the five member unionslaborers, teamsters, service employees, food and commercial workers, and hospitality and textile workersseparately submitted proposals for change to the labor federations leaders. As the federations convention and election in July nears, they are unhappy with the response from AFL-CIO leaders.
This latest effort, announced June 15, is more formal. The coalition has adopted bylaws and a constitution. It will be funded by member unions and officers will be elected. Other unions, whether AFL-CIO affiliated or not, are encouraged to join, a clear invitation to the carpenters union which pulled out of the labor federation in 2001. The carpenters have been given a July convention deadline to decide if they will reaffiliate or be booted from the AFL-CIOs Building and Construction Trades Dept.