Laborers break with AFL-CIO

After months of straddling organized labor's two deeply divided sides, the Laborers Union said Monday it is quitting the AFL-CIO, effective June 1.

With little public fanfare the union notified the labor federation that it would be aligned solely with the Change to Win Federation, the competing group that the Laborers helped create last year with six other unions.

Laborers spokesman Richard Greer said the union needed the last few months to "resolve" some internal issues before making its break from the AFL-CIO.

"We intend to focus all of our efforts and resources to help construction workers," said Greer, adding that the union represents about 500,000 workers and has another 200,000 retirees and associate members.

In its most recent dues payment to the labor federation, the Laborers reported 365,000 members, said Denise Mitchell, a spokeswoman for the AFL-CIO, which represents 51 unions.

"Disappointing as it is, it is not a surprise," she said. "We think that with everything working people are facing today, we need a united labor movement."

One of the Laborers' concerns reportedly was over the impact of its departure on its 50,000 mail handler members. That will divide them from the nation's other postal worker unions, which belong to the AFL-CIO.

Besides playing a key role in setting up the Change to Win Federation, the Laborers joined with the Carpenters Union earlier this year in establishing a competing organization for building trades unions, the National Construction Alliance.

Jim McGough, who leads a small Chicago-based dissident movement within the Laborers, criticized the union's break from the AFL-CIO, saying it has "not been debated by the rank and file."

"I'm opposed to it," he said. "Unity is better."

Besides the Laborers and Carpenters, the dissident labor group includes the Teamsters, the Service Employees International Union, the United Farm Workers, the United Food and Commercial Workers and UNITE HERE, which is the product of the merger of the garment and hotel workers unions.

Amid unprecedented debate the unions decided to go off on their own last year, saying the AFL-CIO was unable to save organized labor from demise.

The Laborers were founded 103 years ago, with the union's first local in Chicago.

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sfranklin@tribune.com