“The central mission of the new federation will be to use the resources of the affiliated unions to wage a massive campaign to empower the millions of American workers who are currently deprived of a strong voice on the job and in their communities,” said Anna Burger, chair of the coalition.

A September 1 news release announcing the convention said the Change to Win Coalition, which was formed in June, has “a key focus to unite the 90 percent of workers not yet in a union so that all working people in this country can build the power to make their voices heard in their jobs, their communities, and in Washington.”

The day before the convention the organizers are holding an afternoon roundtable discussion and a kickoff rally at the America’s Center in the evening (more information at www.changetowin.org).

The coalition is comprised of three unions that withdrew from the AFL-CIO in July—the Service Employees International Union, Teamsters, and United Food and Commercial Workers. Also participating in the coalition is UNITE HERE, whose executive board voted September 13 to disaffiliate from the AFL-CIO.

UNITE HERE represents about 450,000 workers in garment, textile, industrial laundry, hotel, and food service jobs. It is the product of a July 2004 merger of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) and the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union (HERE).

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters, which left the AFL-CIO in 2001, announced plans to take part in the St. Louis gathering. Officials of the United Farm Workers and Laborers unions—both still members of the AFL-CIO—have also said they will attend.
 
 
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