Change to Win, the federation of unions that broke away from the AFL-CIO nearly two years ago, faces internal divides that could threaten its viability, according to documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Change to Win includes seven major unions representing 6 million workers: the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, United Farm Workers, United Food and Commercial Workers, Laborers International Union of North America and Unite Here, which represents textile and hotel workers.
In splitting with the AFL-CIO, which represents 10 million workers, Change to Win unions pledged to build a labor movement that would focus less on presidential politics and more on aggressively increasing labor power through organizing.
In a three-page letter sent last month to his fellow Change to Win leaders, Joseph Hansen, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers, wrote that the unions need to “resolve issues that I see as a threat to the existence of Change to Win.”
He also declared that his union would withdraw a promised $200,000 contribution to an effort by the coalition to put pressure on Wal-Mart by informing Change to Win members about the company’s practices.
When it formed in 2005, Change to Win said it would focus on organizing and would develop joint strategies on three issues: retirement security, health care and immigration.
The documents make plain that two years later, the organization cannot achieve consensus on any of these three issues.
In a March 5 memo, Anna Burger, chairwoman of the Change to Win leadership acknowledged “serious concern about the future and direction” and raised issues about the group’s failure to implement its plans.
Union officials have downplayed the concerns, saying that although there are internal disagreements, any startup coalition of powerful institutions would encounter similar problems.
Hansen said that a meeting earlier this month with other union presidents had allayed some of his concerns. His union, he said, “is fully committed to Change to Win.”
Bruce Raynor, general president of Unite Here, which represents hotel and apparel industry workers, said the seven unions left the AFL-CIO so they would be free to disagree and pursue their own courses on issues.
“I don’t think there’s any threat to the future of Change to Win,” Raynor said. “The principle of Change to Win never was that we would all agree on every policy issue.”
Burger, who declined an interview request, also outlined other Change to Win shortcomings, including the failure to follow through on planned outreach to immigrants and Hispanics.
