Kim Scipes

It's Time to Come Clean: Open the AFL-CIO Archives on International Labor Operations:

This article discusses the two general approaches to foreign affairs taken by the AFL-CIO since 1962, considering foreign policy under Presi dents George Meany and Lane Kirkland (1962-95), and comparing them to the emerging foreign policy of President John Sweeney (since 1995). Central to this article is a detailed examination of the U.S. attack against Chilean President Salvador Allende between 1970-73. Particular attention is paid to the crucial role played by the AFL-CIOs American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD) in destabilizing the economy and causing social turmoil that preceded the violent military coup against Allende on September 11, 1973. This article argues the need to expand the Sweeney approach, while recognizing that what has already been achieved is a major advance over the traditional efforts. Debating foreign policy openly in the Federations unions, and opening the AFL-CIO archives on its foreign operations, especially those in Chile, are suggested as immediate steps that should be taken in efforts to build a worker-supportive foreign policy.

Social Movement Unionism or Social Justice Unionism? Disentangling Theoretical Confusion within the Global Labor Movement

After the election of John Sweeney as President of the AFL-CIO in October 1995, activists and supportive intellectuals in the United States began thinking about how to revitalize the almost moribund American labor movement. A key part of this literature has revolved around the concept of “social movement unionism.” This term touched a nerve, and has garnered widespread usage in North America over the past two decades. However, most researchers using this term have no idea that it was initially developed to understand the new unionism developed by members of specific labor movements in Brazil, the Philippines and South Africa, a type of unionism qualitatively different from that found in North America. This paper argues that the term “social movement unionism” should be confined only to labor organizations developing the same type of unionism, wherever in the world such should be found. Accordingly, this concept should not be utilized in North America today as there are no labor centers or unions present that are developing this type of trade unionism. It is important to clarify this confusion because it is leads to incorrect understandings and miscommunication. Accordingly, the current situation—whereby the same term is used to refer to two qualitatively different social phenomena —theoretically works against efforts to build global labor solidarity. What about the progressive, broad-scope unionism emerging in North America over the past two decades? Taking a page from labor history, this article argues that the proper precedent is progressive unionism developed by the United Packinghouse Workers of America, CIO, and others, and therefore should be referred to as “social justice unionism.” An Appendix provides a measurement tool. The argument is empirically grounded and theoretically developed, allowing us to better understand trade unionism around the globe.

Building Global Labor Solidarity Today: Learning from the KMU of the Philippines

New labor movements are currently emerging across the Global South. This is happening in countries as disparate as China, Egypt, and Iran. New developments are taking place within labor movements in places such as Colombia, Indonesia, Iraq, Mexico, Pakistan and Venezuela. Activists and leaders in these labor movements are seeking information from workers and unions around the world. However, many labor activists today know little or nothing about the last period of intense efforts to build international labor solidarity, the years 1978-2007. One of the key labor movements of this period, and which continues today, is the KMU Labor Center of the Philippines. It is this author’s contention that there is a lot unknown about the KMU that would help advance global labor solidarity today. This paper focuses specifically on the KMU’s development, and shares five things that have emerged from this author’s study of the KMU: a new type of trade unionism, new union organizations, an emphasis on rank and file education, building relations with sectoral organizations, and the need to build international labor solidarity.

Globalization from Below: Labor Activists Challenging the AFL-CIO Foreign Policy Program

Building on Alberto Melucci’s argument that to understand a social movement, we must look at the period before emergence as a social movement, this article examines labor activists’ efforts to reform the foreign policy program of the AFL-CIO: has sufficient groundwork been laid that a serious possibility of an alternative globalization movement can emerge from within US Labor? This article discusses general efforts to challenge the AFL-CIO’s foreign policy program. It examines the work of US Labor Against the War (USLAW) since its founding in 2003, the California State AFL-CIO’s formal repudiation of the AFL-CIO foreign policy program in 2004, and then efforts at the 2005 National AFL-CIO Convention to keep California’s ‘Build Unity and Trust With Workers Worldwide’ resolution from being fairly discussed at the Convention. Based on evidence presented, it then evaluates whether there is an alternative globalization movement emerging within US Labor or not.

The Epic Failure of Labor Leadership in the United States, 1980-2017 and Continuing

The organizational failure of labor leadership in the US is more than individual failures, which could perhaps be overcome by the election of new leaders. The author argues that the model of trade unionism that has dominated US unionism—business unionism—offers no viable way forward and must be replaced by another model— social justice unionism.

Labor in the Information Age

Labor in the Information Age John Trumpbour a; Alex Bryson b; Rafael Gomez c; Paul Willman c; Kim Scipes d; Greg Gigg e; Janet Wasko f; Rose Tang g;Tom Mertes h a Harvard University, b National Institute for Economic and Social Research and Centres for Economic Performance (CEP), London, UK c Department of Management, London School of Economics, London, UK d Purdue University North Central, e Teamster member IBT Local 25, Boston f University of Oregon, g Ferris Fellow of Journalism/Visiting Professor, Princeton University, h University of California, Los Angeles

Hidden Knowledge: Organized Labor in the Information Age (review)

Theriault offers his thoughts and provokes discussion on a wide range of other issues, including the impact of race, gender and class at worksites, the difference between workers’ and managers’ interests, and the debate over whether in today’s world, the union still makes us strong. He even raises existential questions, from what leads to real happiness at workplace and in one’s life, to identifying the differences between a job, a trade, and one’s life work? Theriault’s answers to work, workplace, and life questions are grounded in his understanding of midand latetwentieth-century blue collar and mostly male work. For a good discussion in today’s labor education class, they will need to be supplemented by descriptions of white collar, professional, and/or female dominated worksites. Still, Theriault’s examination of work and his ability provoke reflection by others makes this book have real value to those interested in the meaning of work, leisure, and labor studies.

Book Reviews : Hidden Knowledge: Organized Labor and the Information Age. By D.W. Livingstone and Peter H. Sawchuk. Lanham, MD: Roman and Littlefield Publishers, 2003. 309 pp.

Theriault offers his thoughts and provokes discussion on a wide range of other issues, including the impact of race, gender and class at worksites, the difference between workers’ and managers’ interests, and the debate over whether in today’s world, the union still makes us strong. He even raises existential questions, from what leads to real happiness at workplace and in one’s life, to identifying the differences between a job, a trade, and one’s life work? Theriault’s answers to work, workplace, and life questions are grounded in his understanding of midand latetwentieth-century blue collar and

36.00 (CDN),

For social change activists involved with the labor movement, Building Bridges (Monthly Review Press, 1990) will provide hours of stimulating reading. Edited by Jeremy Brecher and Tim Costello, who also contributed three essays of their own, this book focuses on labor-community coalitions which are emerging in a growing number of areas within the United States. Brecher and Costello argue that the development of these coalitions is one strategy for substantive social change. This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website , where most recent articles are published in full. Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.