Will John Run Against John?

    This week could be the week that John Wilhelm announces that he is running for AFL-CIO president--or not. He's got the right forum: all the presidents from the unions loosely gathered in the "insurgent" caucus are going to be out in my favorite place, Las Vegas, for a big Teamsters shindig...There will be the usual conference activities (and golf) but the real interesting chatting will be done in the small meeting to take place between Jim Hoffa (Teamsters), Joe Hansen (UFCW), Terry O'Sullivan (Laborers), and Bruce Raynor and Wilhelm (UNITE-HERE). I'll report in on that as soon as possible. 

    It says here today that Wilhelm will not run. Oh, he wants to. From chatting with him briefly the other day in New York, I can tell you he's still passionate about pushing for changes in the labor movement. Here's a guy who basically transformed HERE (Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union) from a union that had a lot of unsavory elements. Then, he ceded the privilege of running a union on his own in favor of a strategic merger with another union (choosing to be effectively a co-president with Bruce Raynor of UNITE). At 60, he'd probably serve just one term so he could come in not worrying about re-election--the guy has put in a ton into the labor movement and the word is he doesn't want to overstay his welcome.

    But, the problem is that the votes aren't there--yet. The insurgents can only count on about 40 percent. And that number may diminish dramatically if SEIU leaves the Federation

    On that score, I don't know why people are still holding their breathe: SEIU is out, gone, ciao. I don't think that this is a ploy--there has been an on-going union-wide discussion with the delegates and local leadership that has prepared people for the union's withdrawal. I think SEIU's leadership has simply concluded that the AFL-CIO is not the model best suited for a global labor movement--and, their thinking is, why spend $10 million a year on the Federation when that money could be put into organizing?

    If you're any candidate trying to beat Sweeney, you have to also consider this: if SEIU leaves, potentially to be followed by one or more unions (say, the Teamsters), who would want to take over the Federation with at least $10 million less income coming into, as we've just seen last week, coffers that have been severely depleted in the past decade?

    If Wilhelm decides not to run, attention might then turn to Terry O'Sullivan, the Laborers chief. He has a lot of admirers for having turned around the Laborers from, how can we say it, its less admirable past, and he's been thinking about and doing a lot to turn labor's considerable financial resources into big-time leverage in the marketplace. But there is another reality: he could--with the emphasis, on "could"--attract some of the building trades unions who are currently counted in Sweeney's camp. I just think that, as long as the Carpenters are outside the AFL-CIO and organizing (after hiring 700 organizers and revamping the union) in jurisdictions of some of the AFL-CIO building trades, some of these guys are nervous about their futures.

    The problem is that if there is no candidate, then, it's hard to see the AFL-CIO convention being anything but a snooze. And a pricey one at that. A good friend of mine who runs a Central Labor Council out there in the heartland--and didn't want me to use his name because he doesn't want his international union to get all bent out of shape--sent me the recent call to the convention, which will take place July 25-28th in Chicago. The rates at the Hyatt Regency are $186 for a single room--and a steal at $800 for a one-bedroom state suite. Hey, nothing's too good for the working class.

Comments

[curious]

Jonathan - just wondering - would you provide a full list of your funders for your Economic Future Group and for this blog? Full disclosure seems fair . . .
Curious

[JT]

Curious: I receive no money for this blog. However, I am happy to run advertisements, and would accept them from any union, the AFL or any legitimate group--won't accept corporate contributions. If you'd like to advertise, feel free to contact me.
Fair is fair, however, why don't you disclose who you are?

[Matt $]

Curious, keep your nose out of JT's business and it won't get broke!!1!

[dave]

hey JT, the hyatt regency in chicago is a proud union shop!