[lbo-talk] Fitch on The Split

[Nathan Newman]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Devine" <jdevine03 at gmail.com>
-It's interesting but Nathan's and Fitch's interpretations seem to be a
-matter of glass half-full/half-empty. Nathan sees the Big Split as not
-having any serious negative effects on organized labor's fate, while
-Fitch sees it has having no important positive effect.

Actually, I said that the stated disadvantages were not likely to be real.

Where the split may be very good is if it facilitates greater cooperation 
among the Change to Win folks and, hopefully, among the remaining AFL 
unions.  Cooperation that alluded the large mass of unions may be possible 
in smaller groupings.

Which is borne out by this announcement yesterday:
http://tinyurl.com/dnkqg

"Five unions in the Change To Win Coalition announced today they are backing 
low-paid janitors in Houston and Indianapolis who are uniting to win good 
jobs with health care by forming a union with SEIU (Service Employees 
International Union).  The janitors, many of whom make as little as $5.25 an 
hour, work for ABM Industries, the nation's largest cleaning company.

At a rally Thursday night in Chicago, Brian Rainville of Teamsters Joint 
Council 25 announced that if the janitors reestablished picket lines in 
Chicago, that Teamsters Joint Council 25 would sanction those strike lines 
for its more than 100,000 members. Teamsters Joint Council 25 members 
include garbage pick-up, delivery, garage and parking workers."