Labor's sleeping giant awakens

[babylonsister]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704520504576162791562718756.html

Sparring Unions Now Working as One

By KRIS MAHER And MELANIE TROTTMAN


Leaders of major public and private sector unions have agreed to set aside longstanding divisions and turf battles and coordinate in a campaign to counter challenges to their political and contract-bargaining power in a growing number of states.

The plan requires each union to commit a certain amount of money to fund a $30 million campaign. Funds will be dedicated to paid media, lobbying, work-site leaflets, and a range of other campaign items, including opposition research into groups that unions believe could be funding state efforts to restrict union rights, such as the Koch Brothers, and the Scaife and Walton Foundations.

The coordinated effort got is start at a Feb. 14 meeting at the headquarters of the National Education Association, the nation's biggest union with 3.2 million members.

At the meeting, about a dozen presidents of the nation's biggest unions formed a group called the "Labor Table," and signed onto a detailed "unity campaign," which amounts to a contract among the unions outlining how they will mobilize rallies and other events in coming months.

more...

[rhino47]

1. k/r

[hobbit709]

2. TR nailed it

"It is essential that there should be organizations of labor. This is an era of organization. Capital organizes and therefore labor must organize." 1912

[snappyturtle]

3. It's about time! nt

[deacon]

4. K + R

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

5. K&R

[AllyCat]

6. I have never been so proud to wear my SEIU shirt than I am right now

People comment on it and smile, asking how things are going at the Capitol. Guess Walker's can of "whoopass" he thought he opened was actually glue and now we are all stuck together :)

[rurallib]

7. We should be contributing to help them out.

If they lose, we all lose bigtime!