In an unprecedented move, the presidents of the Service Employees International Union, the AFL-CIO and 12 other unions and labor federations convened in Maryland Wednesday to announce the formation of a new labor federation comprising nearly 16 million members.
Former Michigan congressman and labor advocate David Bonior will head up the new National Labor Coordinating Committee. Hopes are high that the labor groups can join together to form the new federation by September, The Washington Post. The as-yet unnamed federation will focus much of its efforts of passing labor reform legislation, including the embattled Employee Free Choice Act, which many in the labor movement still see as their best chance at rebuilding union membership across the country.
The EFCA has faced some significant setbacks in recent weeks, with two former supporters-Sens. Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)-now opposing it. Labor leaders hope a strong, unified labor movement will help their chances in electing union-friendly senators in the upcoming 2010 mid-term elections, according to the Post.
