PHOENIX--AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney defended his reform 
proposals aimed at promoting diversity in union leadership May 26 in a 
speech to a meeting of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU).
Sweeney delivered his first major speech to black union activists since 
announcing that he will seek a third term as president of the labor 
federation in July.

His remarks came at a time when the labor federation is under its
heaviest assault in 80 years from both outside and within, he told the 
gathering. President Bush has made de-unionization a major theme of his 
administration, Sweeney said, and no one has suffered under the 
policie of his administration more than the families of black workers.
"Times are tough for all working families, but they are tougher for
women and people of color, and for a nation that pretends to be caring and 
progressive, that's outrageous and shameful," Sweeney told the 1,500 
assembled delegates. Meanwhile, CBTU says black trade unionists are upset 
because theybelieve they are being excluded from the debate on the 
restructuring of the
labor movement.

A group of insurgent unions wants the AFL-CIO's governing council to be 
reduced to the presidents of the 15 largest unions in the federation.
None of them is headed by a black or a woman.Sweeney, who first was elected 
AFL-CIO president in 1995, has outlined aplan to revamp the federation and 
restore organized labor's clout in the workplace and in the political arena. 
His reform proposals address diversity as a means to build the organization's 
clout (82 DLR E-1,04/29/05  ).

CBTU maintains that the voices of women and people of color and the
value of diversity must be viewed as major components of building a stronger, 
more inclusive labor movement.Sweeney delivered a sharp rebuttal to insurgents, 
saying that when he ran for AFL-CIO president nearly 10 years ago, he pushed 
to expand it so that women, and men and women of color, could have a greater 
voice in decisionmaking.

Without identifying them by name, Sweeney said, "There are some leaders in 
our movement who are now suggesting that the Executive Council be
reduced in size or its responsibilities diminished in the name of efficiency 
andcontrol."

"John Sweeney is not among them. At the AFL-CIO, we will not turn back the 
clock," he said, receiving loud applause.Divisiveness in Labor Movement Cited
Sweeney said the rancor coming from within labor "is tearing at the 
solidarity we depend upon to deal with the awesome challenges we are
facing."The hostility from inside the labor movement, he said, began to 
emerge prior to the 2004 elections, and spilled over after the defeat of 
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, despite strong union political 
organizing.Sweeney said he shared the frustration at the time, and shares it 
now."I think we all do, and I think we all agree we have to make substantial
changes in the way we go about our work; the challenges facing working 
people demand it," he said.But, Sweeney added that he does not share insurgents' 
enthusiasm for reshaping the labor movement from the top down, forcing mergers of
unions, dictating bargaining standards, and dividing and weakening the AFL-CIO
itself.And, he said he disagrees with the threat by his own union that he once 
headed, the Service Employees International Union, to disaffiliate fromthe 
AFL-CIO if its standards or demands are not met. He called it "one of the 
most destructive actions I've ever witnessed, and I hope the members of my union 
will reject it."

Sweeney urged reform of the labor movement with what he called a strong 
core, as well as strong affiliates, strong state and local organizations, and 
strong constituency groups, "because it takes all of us doing whatwe do best 
together to win for working families."


Suggestions for Reform

Toward that end, Sweeney said he had invited suggestions and proposals
from every corner of the labor movement.About 7,000 comments and ideas 
were received from individual union members; 23 extensive proposals from 
national unions; 40 from state federations and central labor councils 
and constituency groups, and dozens more from 
AFL-CIO trade departments, executive council committees, partner 
organizations, and academics, he said. One of the most thoughtful proposals,
he said, came from the CBTU. Its proposal urged integration of constituency 
group leadership into the AFL-CIO's political and organizing programs, and 
strengthening of the labor movement at the state and local levels where the 
AFL-CIO organizations are in close touch with allies and constituencies, he 
said.

Sweeney said CBTU President Bill Lucy's letter stated: "I suggest the 
Federation leadership resist the call to reduce the size of the Executive 
Council. The added size of the Council bears no relationship to the decline 
in labor's fortunes." Lucy's letter continued, "I do not believe labor's 
problem revolves around structure. I believe to the extent we have a problem, 
it is around mission."Sweeney told participants, "Bill Lucy, we heard you. And 
at the AFL-CIO,the voices of women and members and leaders of color will be 
heard."

Sweeney said the AFL-CIO is going to put teeth into its commitment to diversity 
not only by increasing leadership training and development, but also by requiring 
the executive council as well as state federations andcentral labor councils to 
develop plans to achieve targeted levels of 
diversity."And we're going to steal a page from civil rights history and require
that women and people of color are represented proportionately in union dele-
gations to AFL-CIO conventions. No ifs, no ands, no excuses," he said.CBTU,the 
nation's largest independent African-American labor
organization, has 59 chapters in the United States and Canada.



By William H. Carlile