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I'm going to do a thread about my reporting on the @AFLCIO. For better or worse, the AFL-CIO is at the center of the organized labor movement in America. Even people who love unions are exasperated at the AFL-CIO. But what it does matters. It's important.
1/ In 2017 I interviewed Richard Trumka, then and still the president of the AFL-CIO. What stood out most to me was when I asked him what his plan for reviving union membership was, he said vaguely, "It's multifaceted." That seemed like a bad sign. splinternews.com/richard-trumka…
2/ Later in 2017, I went to the AFL-CIO convention. I came away from there convinced that the single most important thing the AFL-CIO could do would be to pour resources into new organizing. (That is not what they are doing, for the most part). splinternews.com/what-labor-nee…
3/ A few weeks ago, an internal dispute between Trumka and one of his deputies, Tefere Gebre, broke out into the open. Many insiders saw this as fundamentally a political dispute. splinternews.com/bizarre-disput…
4/ It was ugly, and even as it was settled, the incident spoke to much deeper divisions inside the AFL-CIO. splinternews.com/the-most-power…
5/ In the wake of that, dissatisfaction with Trumka began bubbling to the surface. Multiple former AFL-CIO staffers went on the record with me to criticize Trumka, particularly for his failure to pursue organizing even as union membership sinks. splinternews.com/former-afl-cio…
6/ A leaked copy of the AFL-CIO budget showed that organizing spending is a fraction of what it used to be; the most aggressive spending is reserved for political campaigns. splinternews.com/afl-cio-budget…
7/ People have also taken issue with more personal aspects of Trumka's leadership style. splinternews.com/this-memo-expl…
8/ There is a possible reform candidate set to try to take over when Trumka leaves; then again, there are also more establishment candidates. Who wins is anyone's guess at this point. splinternews.com/sara-nelson-wa…
9/ Almost all of the truly committed, militant, ideological people I know in the labor world have been disgusted with the AFL-CIO for a long time. Many view it as a useless bureaucracy, often with good reason. There is a strong tendency to say "fuck the AFL" and ignore it. But--
10/ If the AFL-CIO didn't exist, we'd have to invent it. It has more money and resources than any other labor group. It sits at the center of the union world. It has an incredible amount of potential. I hope people pay attention to it. The labor movement can't afford not to.
(And as always, if you are a source who would like to share relevant information, DM or email me, thank you.)
