May 25, 2006

LIUNA leaves AFL-CIO

WASHINGTON

The Laborers’ International Union of North America, representing 700,000 construction workers in Canada and the U.S., has decided to leave the AFL-CIO.

Laborers’ International (LIUNA) was already part of the Change to Win coalition, breakaway unions that have left the giant federation of more than 50 unions in an effort to forge a new direction for organized labour. But until now, it had remained in the AFL-CIO federation.

“We are leaving so that we can place our full efforts and focus on growth in order to help millions of construction workers improve their lives,” said union spokesman Richard Greer. The union informed the AFL-CIO at it was leaving as of June 1.

The breakaway unions have complained that the AFL-CIO was putting too much emphasis on electoral politics and not enough on organizing more people to join the shrinking labour movement.

Members of LIUNA are in a wide variety of construction trades, and also work in demolition and in cleaning up hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead.

A large share of the unions’ newer members are recent immigrants, including many Hispanics.

Greer said construction workers have seen declines in wages, benefits and working conditions over the last decade.

“We want to change that so construction workers are better rewarded for the hard, dirty and sometimes dangerous work they do,” Greer said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Print | Email | Comment