How Unions Can Organize New Members
While Conducting Their Election Campaigns

Although it is in serious financial difficulty because of sharply reduced income, the AFL-CIO announced it will be spending $53 million and sending an army of tens of thousands of volunteers to persuade residents in 21 battleground states to vote on Election Day for candidates endorsed by labor. This does not include the financial investment of tens of millions more that international and local unions will be making because they want the Democrats to continue controlling both Houses of Congress.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka described what’s at stake in the midterm November elections in stark terms:

“Will America go back to the Bush years—with rising unemployment, shrinking wages, disappearing health care and dwindling retirement savings? Or will we move forward to a future that will generate middleclass wages and worldwide products and services?”

Is this election simply between the “Wrecking Crew” (Republicans) and the “Cleanup Crew” (Democrats) as Trumka would have voters, particularly independent voters, to believe? In all honesty, can we deny the shortcomings of the Obama administration in regard to jobs, health care and its compromising policies toward Wall Street, while still voting for Democratic candidates as our best choice?

While the AFL-CIO expects that its costly investment in this election will result in an impressive victory that keeps the Democrats in control of both Houses of Congress, it also provides it with a rare opportunity to institute a national organizing campaign that will increase its membership and strengthen its economic and political influence.

A Broader Campaign Can Gain Members and Influence

In the nearly three months before Election Day, most Americans will be receptive to getting campaign literature and listening to political discussions. This is a time when unions should be conducting organizing campaigns. Those tens of thousands of campaign volunteers, when they visit workers in their homes, workplaces and union halls, should be equipped with talking points about the importance of unions, and should distribute literature and special invitation union membership cards to join.

Every member of the AFL-CIO Executive Council should be brought into the organizing campaign, with each assigned speaking engagements from a list of important organizations. The same requirement should be made of the top officers of international unions, as well as state and local officials. We can’t just leave it to Trumka to make the case for unionism.

The affiliated state and local labor organizations should think of ways to incorporate the union story with their support of pro-labor candidates.

The AFL-CIO and its affiliates have lost hundreds of thousands of members in the past two years. It is time to make a serious effort to bring them back into the House of Labor. Putting so many millions of dollars into the election campaign means there won’t be much money left for union organizing.

Can the labor movement grow in numbers and strength by linking its future to the Democratic Party? I don’t think so. The slogan “Organize or Die” still has some merit.—Harry Kelber

LaborTalk (91) will be posted here on August 17, 2010 and on our two web sites, https://www.laboreducator.org/ and www.laborsvoiceforchange.org.