Although the split in the American labor movement at the Chicago AFL-CIO Convention in July was bitter and acrimonious, unions on both sides are finding ways to work together.
The Communications Workers of America (CWA), whose officers were among the most hard-lined for expulsion of the disaffiliating unions, and the Teamsters, one of the Change to Win unions that boycotted the convention, have agreed to a plan to jointly represent reservations, ticket and gate agents at US Airways and America West, which are preparing to merge. Likewise, the AFL-CIO affiliate the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the CtW’s Service Employees International Union (SEIU), whose jurisdictions covering home care and child care workers overlap, have agreed on how to work together to organize and service those workers and on a "no raid" commitment between them.
The Sept. 12 agreement between the CWA and the Teamsters is significant not just because two of the largest unions on either side of the split have found common cause, but also because US Airways faced a federal bankruptcy court hearing Sept. 15 on its bankruptcy reorganization plan. Just before that session, CWA announced the carrier agreed "our entire CWA Passenger Service Agreement (our contract) will be officially ‘assumed’ by the new corporation upon exit from bankruptcy."
July’s pullout by the Teamsters, SEIU and UFCW was accompanied by some sharp words on both sides, but such comments were notably absent in the joint CWA-IBT announcement about representing the airline workers.
"By working together, we can build a strong, unified passenger service group and protect and improve conditions for employees that both unions represent at US Airways," said CWA President Larry Cohen. CWA represents the 6,000 passenger service agents at US Airways.
"As the (airline) industry endures continued economic uncertainty, this agreement will ensure that nearly 10,000 workers are united in their fight for fair treatment and job security," added Teamsters President James Hoffa. Last year, his union won the right to represent the 3,500 America West agents and is now bargaining a first contract with the Phoenix-based carrier. US Airways is based in Arlington, Va.
If the passenger service agents in both unions vote to create it, the new Airline Customer Service Association/IBT-CWA will have an equal number of representatives from CWA and IBT locals on a US Airways Representation Committee "to meet at least four times a year on workplace issues and policies." Cohen would head the new group the first year, with Hoffa as vice director, and they would switch posts every year.
Similarly, AFSCME and SEIU exchanged unkind words in Chicago. SEIU filed for representation of an AFSCME home care local in Southern California the day it disaffiliated and AFSCME accused SEIU on the floor of the convention of raiding its locals. But in a Sept. 19 press release the leaders of both unions sounded a different note, pledging not to raid each others’ locals and to work jointly to make gains for home care and child care workers not already organized.
"When we strengthen our cooperation and help workers in the same industry unite, everybody wins," said SEIU President Andy Stern. "We look forward to working together with AFSCME to create better jobs and provide quality services."
"This agreement is a victory for the millions of workers who want a union but don’t have one," said AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee. "I look forward to working with SEIU to help unorganized workers get good jobs, health care and a voice at work."
Under the agreement, the approximately 25,000 California home care workers who provide in-home services to seniors and people with disabilities and are not covered by either an AFSCME or SEIU contract will be represented by both unions in a new California United Homecare Workers Union, AFSCME/SEIU. The 120,000 home care and nursing home care workers who are members of SEIU Local 434B and the 60,000 California home care workers who are members of AFSCME’s United Domestic Workers will work in partnership while maintaining their autonomy.
In California and Pennsylvania, where both unions represent home-based child care providers, they will work together to organize the workers in a new statewide local that will be affiliated with both AFSCME and SEIU.
In a memo to his International Executive Board, Stern called the pact "a series of breakthrough agreements that will help workers in the same industry unite through a first-of-its-kind partnership…The pact will immediately remedy some past conflicts with AFSCME in the field and enable thousands of home-based workers who care for seniors, children and people with disabilities to build their strength to win improvements on the job."
—SS and PAI
