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In the last few days, there have been a flurry of stories about the surge in support for Bernie Sanders among rank and file organized labor. See here, and here for that background.
Labor for Bernie Sanders has spearheaded the effort to build support among labor rank and file. They've been amazing, and they've been very, very effective. So much so that AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka has had to respond:
In a memo this week to state, central and area divisions of the labor federation, and obtained by POLITICO, the AFL-CIO chief reminded the groups that its bylaws don’t permit them to “endorse a presidential candidate” or “introduce, consider, debate, or pass resolutions or statements that indicate a preference for one candidate over another.” Even “‘personal’ statements” of candidate preference are verboten, Trumka said.
The memo comes amid signs of a growing split between national union leaders — mindful of the fact that Clinton remains the undisputed favorite for the nomination — and local officials and rank and file, who are increasingly drawn to the Democratic Party’s growing progressive wing, for whom Sanders is the latest standard-bearer.
Here's the full text of that memo:
The AFL-CIO questionnaire is due today, and representatives of the Sanders and Clinton campaigns meet with officers from the labor federation yesterday. We have a strong labor contingent here on Daily Kos, but we've also got a large group of people for whom CLC, state federation, and AFL-CIO are basically a foreign language. So a little background.
First, most of us know at least someone in a labor union. The most basic unit of any labor union is the local which is the branch of the union that represents a set of workers for a limited geographic area or specific employer/employers. You'll know that people are talking about a local when you see the union name followed by a number. For example, my father was a member of UAW 499. The great thing about unions is that they are democratic (little d) organizations where one person=one vote. Local union leadership are almost always going to be elected. Local unions are typically going to be affiliated with two bodies. Their own national/international union, and a local Central Labor Council. (CLC)
For example, most of the unions in my county are affiliated with the East Central Indiana CLC. CLCs are the local affiliates of the AFL-CIO, and have representatives from many different unions. Much of labor's ground game is carried out here. In some big cities, this has been supplemented by staffers from Working America, an outreach effort of the AFL-CIO to unorganized workers. Local CLCs are affiliated with the state AFL-CIO Federation, and with the national AFL-CIO based in Washington. The state and national federations draw from a large number of unions and CLCs, and are able to provide a lot of cash and media support for candidates. Canvassing and phone bank support, that typically comes from the labor rank and file, who are mobilized by their CLC.
The fight that is going on now is between CLCs/state AFL-CIO and the national AFL-CIO. I want to make clear that AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka has been a great leader. He's only enforcing long standing procedural rules. From the article linked above:
Under AFL-CIO procedures governing endorsements, a political committee makes a recommendation to the executive council in Washington, which then submits it for ratification by leaders of its member unions. A two-thirds majority is required.
This procedure only applies to state federations and CLCs. It is the reason the the AFL-CIO has not endorsed this early. Individual unions have their own procedures.
The AFL-CIO’s constituent unions — as distinct from divisions of the federation itself — remain free to make endorsements however they wish. But they can’t make those endorsements acting through local and regional divisions of the AFL-CIO, as Trumka reminded everyone in the memo.
Union locals are affiliated with a national/international union. (About that international part, some unions like USW, UFCW, etc also organize in Canada.) The national union will generally either 1)make and endorsment, 2) adopt neutrality, or 3) free locals to endorse on their own. This is what happened in 2004 and 2008. In case you're thinking it's too early to be talking about union endorsements, you should know by Labor Day 2007, 5 unions
had already endorsed. Historically, national unions will endorse in contested Democratic primaries. It's an important part of the contest.
There is almost certainly not going to be an early endorsement of Bernie Sanders by the AFL-CIO, but it would be entirely in keeping with what's happened in the past for individual unions to begin endorsing in the next month. That is why you see Labor for Bernie Sanders organizing on this, and it's why I've been trying to get this thunderclap set to go the morning of the meet and greet between Senator Sanders and labor leaders in Washington.
10:10 AM PT: Thunderclap is at 101% of goal keep sharing, and getting new folks to sign on.