American union federation faces challenge from largest affiliates

The AFL-CIO US union confederation looks set to split at its next congress later this month.

Five of the largest US unions, who together make up more than 40% of the membership of the confederation, have created a new grouping "Change to Win".

They are likely to break away unless the AFL-CIO as a whole accepts their proposals. These include halving the amount of money individual unions pay to the confederation. They are also calling for a drastic programme of union mergers to create a more logical structure, with fewer, larger unions.

For both sides the key challenge is the fall in union membership - at 13 million down to around 12% of all employees.

The AFL-CIO argues that it has worked hard to rebuild membership since a new leadership was elected in 1995. Last month president John Sweeney said: "now more than ever we need a united labour movement".

However, for the Change to Win coalition this is not enough. It says, "the AFL-CIO officers' approach is a status quo unity that will simply reinforce the trajectory of the last 10 years - declining union membership, fewer worker protections, and an enhanced political assault on working people".