The Teamsters yesterday announced their plan for restructuring the labor movement. In most respects it mirrors the SEIU plan (not a good sign for the smaller industrial and construction unions SEIU wants merged), although the Teamsters oppose “forced mergers.” It is worth noting that the Teamsters are, however, not opposed to mergers – the once-proud Graphic Communication Workers just merged with the Teamsters this week. The biggest difference between the Teamster proposal and that of the SEIU is in its focus on electoral swing states. The plan basically is to pump 1/2 of the AFL-CIO per capita taxes (nearly $50 million a year) into organizing campaigns in swing states. At the top of the list are Ohio and Missouri, two formerly strong union states that went for Bush this year. It is an interesting intersection between the SEIU’s focus on organizing and increasing union density and the goal of shoring up political power (read: elect a Democrat in 2008). I am still intrigued at the lack of interest in making unions more democratic and accountable. It is worth noting that the Teamsters are still unable to rid themselves of corruption (and seem increasingly less interested in doing so); the SEIU isn’t exactly the poster-child for union democracy itself.
