:: rawblogXport ::

:: Saturday, February 26, 2005 ::

A.F.L.-C.I.O. Leader Backs Shifting Money to Member Unions' Organizing Efforts By STEVEN GREENHOUSE, The New York Times
Labor leaders said Mr. Sweeney's announcement would mean tens of millions of dollars more for organizing and could cause the A.F.L.-C.I.O. to reduce its staff and responsibilities and focus more on politics and legislative matters. Mr. Sweeney gave his support to cutting unions' contributions to the federation after Andrew Stern, president of the service employees, the largest union in the A.F.L.-C.I.O., threatened to quit the federation unless it adopted far-reaching changes. Mr. Stern's aides said yesterday that he had no comment on Mr. Sweeney's remarks.

The debate over change and reducing unions' payments to the A.F.L.-C.I.O. could gather steam next week when the nation's labor leaders hold their winter meeting at Bally's Hotel in Las Vegas.

With Mr. Stern calling on the A.F.L.-C.I.O. to pressure small unions to merge, Mr. Sweeney said he would encourage unions to merge voluntarily to make them bigger and stronger. He also called for changes in labor's rules to prevent one union from undercutting another in bargaining.

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