A.F.L.-C.I.O. Lays Off 105, but Discord Grows Louder

Already facing upheaval and dissent from several union presidents, the A.F.L.-C.I.O. saw its problems escalate last week when the federation laid off about a fourth of its staff and the chairman of its public relations committee resigned in a fit of pique. Not only that, but four of the nation's largest unions demanded that the A.F.L.-C.I.O. remove their members' names from its master political list of 13 million workers because of a feud over sharing information.

Adding to the discord, the presidents of five unions - the service employees; the Teamsters; the laborers; the food and commercial workers; and the hotel, restaurant and apparel workers - plan to gather in Las Vegas on Monday to discuss whether to back a challenger to John J. Sweeney, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s president, in his bid for a new four-year term.

The A.F.L.-C.I.O., a federation of 57 unions, has been in tumult for more than six months, ever since the federation's largest union, the Service Employees International Union, threatened to quit, complaining that the organization was doing far too little to reverse labor's decline.

Andrew Stern, president of the service employees, which has 1.8 million members, has urged the federation to spend far more on unionizing workers. He has contended that much more organizing is needed because unions have lost clout as the percentage of workers in unions has fallen to 12.5 percent from nearly 35 percent in the 1950's.......

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/08/national/08labor.html?

and wondered how the hell you go to a corp.and argue against laying off people when you are doing it yourself.I can't believe with all the money they take in they can't find enough for 100 workers.
Also,did we ever find out why Sweeny's name was on the neocon list,PNOC? I think sweeny has to go,anyone that can't see laying off people is a horrible idea sure doesn't need to be in charge of the U.S largest union!