For more than two decades, Sweeney said, many corporations have competed in the global marketplace through privatization, deregulation and de-unionization—which degrade work and workers—rather than through innovation and ingenuity. The resulting damage to workers, in addition to millions of lost jobs, has included cuts in wages, healthcare and pensions—cuts that have “swamped the boats of middle class workers and destroyed the frail crafts of ethnic and immigrant workers,” he said.

While President Bush painted a rosy picture of the U.S. economy in his
Jan. 31 State of the Union address, Sweeney said the president instead should admit that the country is heading in the wrong direction on everything from education to retirement security, and should embrace a much different set of policies. He urged the president to support trade agreements that protect workers’ rights as well as corporate interests; policies that make it illegal to sell merchandise produced under sweatshop conditions; the repeal of tax incentives that encourage corporations to send jobs overseas; passage of universal health coverage; more money for education and job training; an increase in the federal minimum wage; and passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, which would guarantee workers the freedom “to come together in unions and bargain for a better life.”

“Of course we don’t expect President Bush to do any of those things,” he commented. “But we do expect more from our elected leaders in Congress, and we’re going to demand it.”

The labor federation president also commented on the future of the AFL-CIO after the withdrawal of a number of large unions. “Some may doubt that we have the capacity … because of the tragic split that took place in our movement last year,” he said. “I would urge everyone to watch what we’re doing—and not what the doubters are saying.”

Sweeney went on to highlight the federation’s “Working America” initiative, which allows workers who don’t have a union in their workplace to be part of the labor movement. More than 1 million members already have signed up and played a role in successful fights to protect Social Security and win key political races in states such as California and Virginia last November.

In addition, the AFL-CIO has stepped up efforts to promote workers’ rights (such as the events and demonstrations in December involving 60,000 protesters across the country); increased its emphasis on organizing new members; and devoted more resources to legislative and political advocacy. One big push, Sweeney noted, will be to launch “fair share healthcare” campaigns in more than 30 states. The campaigns, building on a recent legislative success in Maryland, call for large corporations such as Wal-Mart to spend a certain percentage of their payroll on healthcare benefits or pay into a state healthcare fund.