9/14/2005

Activist, progressive union takes next step in its groundbreaking history

St. Paul, MN—The General Executive Board of UNITE HERE voted September 13th to disaffiliate from the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). This vote follows several months of debate and discussion among the members, staff, and elected leadership of UNITE HERE.

“Workers in America are in a crisis- a crisis of low wages, plant closings, lost pensions, lost health care, and a loss of rights on the job,” said Bruce Raynor, General President of UNITE HERE. “Hurricane Katrina is the rawest example of how low wage workers are simply being left behind in our society. Workers want to fight back, and they deserve institutions and leadership willing to get serious about organizing and increasing worker power to rebuild the middleclass and restore dignity on the job. Our union has taken steps to devote over 50% of our resources on organizing, and through our changes we are seeing victories for our members across the US and Canada. Our board’s vote today was a step toward a dedicated vision to organize within the Change to Win coalition.”