The
Association for Union Democracy: union democracy for a strong labor movement
104 Montgomery
Street, Brooklyn, New York, 11225; USA; 718-564-1114; info@uniondemocracy.org
When the bottom falls out of the economy, some places face higher, not lower, demand.
Economists call them countercyclical industries. That's the situation here at AUD!
We can speculate about why, but one thing we know the demand for our services is going UP. Herman Benson, who has been at this for over 40 years, says that there have never before been so many calls for help on union democracy issues. So demand is up, what about supply? That's where you come in! Read AUD's fund appeal (pdf)
The Association for Union Democracy (AUD) is
a pro-labor, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the
principles and practices of democratic trade unionism in the North
American labor movement. It is the premise of AUD
that internal democracy makes unions stronger and better able to fight
for the rights and interests of working people. No other organization
is dedicated solely to advancing the democratic rights of union
members.
AUD is a non-partisan organization. We do
not support or endorse candidates for union office or particular
policies within unions. Rather,
AUD supports
actions which strengthen the democratic process, promoting membership
participation, free speech and fair elections, so that union members
can transform and lead their unions.AUD
depends on contributions and has limited resources. We provide
educational assistance and guidance as to legal rights and organizing
to union members fighting for greater control of their unions...(more about AUD,
a definition of union democracy, to contribute
to AUD)
Special request to Labor Intellectuals, from Herman Benson. "A year ago
or so I wrote an essay
on intellectuals and unions which explains why our Association for
Union Democracy feels so strongly that intellectuals need a strong labor
movement and why the labor movement needs the support of intellectuals.
This is a message that AUD has been setting forth since 1969. And it explains
why I have been so encouraged by the support pro-labor intellectuals have
expressed for the democratic rights of SEIU workers in California..." Read more (12/8/09)
IAM Maine shipyard local reminds
us: It's hard to resist a repressive trusteeship. By Herman Benson
"A Federal judge peremptorily dismissed the complaint filed by members
of Machinists Local S6 and upheld the trusteeship imposed by the IAM international
on this 3,400-member local of shipyard workers at the Bath Iron Works in Maine.
The decision is a blunt reminder of how difficult it is to resist an arbitrary
trusteeship imposed by an authoritarian international upon a dissident local
union; and it reveals a serious flaw in the Labor-Management Reporting and
Disclosure Act." Read
more (11/9/09)
IAM election needless. All 20 officers
coast in. "The constitution of the International Association of
Machinists provides for the election of international officers by direct membership
vote. But machinists are not actually burdened with the chore of casting ballots
because it's so difficult for any dissident to get nominated that no one runs
against the administration." Read
more (11/9/09)
In Steel Local 12-369: A woman,
and black, it's tough to be local president. "Stephanie Green
is a woman and one of the few African-Americans in the 1,200-member Steelworkers
Local 12-369, mostly white, in the state of Washington. As soon as she was
elected local president in November 2005, the executive board began to give
her a hard time." Read more
(11/9/09)
A formidable force for reform in
the ILA. "The International Longshoremen's Association is definitely
evolving, but into what? This is one of the four unions that, over the years,
had been cited in government investigatory reports as most heavily infiltrated
by organized crime: the scene of payoffs and murder so graphically portrayed
in On the Waterfront. It is still the object of a stalled federal RICO suit.
But things are happening that could never have happened before." Read
more (11/9/09)
In Memoriam: Ruth S. Spitz.
We are deeply saddened to announced the passing of long-time AUD Board member
and supporter Ruth Sachere Spitz. She was 90 years old, and lived near her
grandson Leo Macdonald in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Ruth was born in Ottawa
and raised in Brooklyn by democratic socialist-minded parents who boasted
of hearing Eugene V. Debs speak and of voting for Norman Thomas. She was a
Yipsel (member of the Young People's Socialist League) and student at Brooklyn
College when she joined the organizing picket at May's Department Store, ending
up in jail for several hours. At Brooklyn College, she majored in Labor Economics
under the direction of Teresa Wolfson. Then, she attended the University of
Wisconsin where she studied under New Dealers who helped write the Wagner
and Social Security Acts, and she completed a Master's in Labor Economics. Read more (11/9/09)
Steelworker battles for democracy
in ILA Local 2038. By Matt Noyes "At 25, Kensey Alsman was a millwright
at Bethlehem Steel serving as an observer to get a fair election for Ed Sadlowski
in his 1976 insurgent run for international president of the Steelworkers
union. Now at 59, having retired, only to see his health care and pension
go down with the bankrupted company, Alsman is back in a mill, this time at
Beta Steel in Indiana where he is a member of the International Longshoremen's
Association, battling for fair elections and democracy in ILA Local 2038." Read
more (9/8/09)
Appeals court backs union curbs
on the internet. "The U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia
has upheld a union rule that places new burdens on candidates who want to
use their own independent web sites to campaign for union office. The court's
decision gives the green light to those nervous union officials who hope to
develop new ways to limit the potential of the internet as an instrument for
union democracy." Read
more (9/8/09)
In the Teamsters Union: What's
the dollar cost of cruel beatings? "The Teamsters Independent
Review Board has been doing a scrupulous job of policing the union for corruption
and expelling characters with organized crime connections. But some Teamster
reformers feel that the Board has been slow in dealing with the kind of offenses
against union democracy that resist evaluation in dollars, like intimidation,
election fraud, and blacklisting. Which makes reports of the Board's investigation
into events in Local 82 (in TDU's Convoy-Dispatch) of special interest. Local
82 union representatives, according to C-D, stand accused of vicious beatings
of members who protested against the destruction of the local's contract defenses
of job seniority." Read
more (9/8/09)
Office of Labor-Management Standards Makes Contracts
Available Online."The Office of Labor-Management
Standards (OLMS) announces the availability of the Department of Labor Collective
Bargaining Agreement (CBA) File in the Online Public Disclosure Room. Collective
bargaining agreements...are now available to be viewed and printed."
With two exceptions: contracts covering fewer than 1,000 workers, and contracts
covering railroad and airline workers. See the Online
Public Disclosure Room. (11/12/07)
"Request Help" page.
For unionists seeking information or advice with a union democracy problem.
With a new "Request Help" form that will help AUD better assist
you. An important resource for union members, please bookmark and link directly
to this page. See the page here. We have
also reworked the Contact AUD page.
Volunteer for AUD.
Work with AUD staff on online projects: translation into Spanish, indexing
and database entry, graphic/web design, web surfing and other skills needed. See our volunteer page.
Spread Union Democracy:
get a bundle of 20 copies of Union Democracy Review for $20.00 to hand out
to coworkers. Order here.
If
you find this website helpful, send AUD a generous contribution. We
cannot continue to provide this service without support from unionists
and civil libertarians like you. You may need us. We
certainly depend upon you. Donations to AUD are tax-deductible.
Disclaimer: the information presented on this
website is general and intended for educational purposes. It is not a
substitute for practical legal advice on any specific situation.
Use the following credit line
on the materials you use: "From the website of the Association
for Union Democracy. www.uniondemocracy.org. Email:
info@uniondemocracy.org. 104 Montgomery Street, Brooklyn, New York,
11225; USA; 718-564-1114"
