Although the structure of the American labor movement might seem a mystery from the outside, a map and some good clues can lead you to a wealth of opportunities. The difficulties come with knowing who is who, and which specific unions and individuals are open to collaborative efforts. Some clues for identifying union allies are included in the next chapter.
While some European countries have competing socialist, communist, Christian-Democrat
and other national labor federations, the U.S. has only one - the American
Federation of
Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations, AFL-CIO - and the
vast majority of U.S. trade
unions are part of it. The key independent unions remaining outside the
AFL-CIO are the
National Education Association (NEA), the United Brotherhood of Carpenters
(UBC), and
the United Electrical Workers (UE). Here are the basic building blocks
of the American
labor movement from the bottom up:
Employees in a workplace, or who work for the same employer, may decide they want a union to help them improve their wages and working conditions, and to provide a structure for negotiating with management. Workers who arrive at this decision will generally contact a few unions to see which one might best suit their needs. If they decide to proceed, they will establish an organizing committee and sign union authorization cards saying they want the union.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Labor Primer:
Laboring for Health: Unions Leadership Role in Health Policy
Taking Health Care to the States and the Streets
Best Practices for the Long Haul
Worker Centers: Another Resource
The Soul of Labor History is the Story of Democracy
Appendices:
Article: Unions are from Mars, Community Groups are from Venus: Does that Mean We are All Aliens?