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Show MSB MORE AGGRESSIVE LABOR POLICIES Little of dramatic consequence happened hap-pened on the labor front during the first year of Lane Kirkland's role as AFL-CIO AFL-CIO president, largely because of economic dislocations, unemployment, and the loss of support for labor in the political field. On the whole, most of the federation's secondary officials felt that KirkJand and his secretary-treasurer Thomas Donahue did passably well during 1980 under the circumstances, although they hope for more aggressive leadership once the economy is somewhat more stable, the direction clearer. It is generally conceded that the transition tran-sition from the prolonged presidency of George Meany was relatively smooth, mostly because for some years before Meany's resignation and, shortly thereafter, his death Kirkland worked with him very closely. While the new president's personal methods of dealing with his associates is more relaxed than was Meany's, most of his objectives are similar. DIFFERENT FOREIGN APPROACH For the last decade or so of his life, Meany had been severing most connections connec-tions with worldwide labor authorities and their organizations. It was clear that he felt European union blocs were being sucked into the communist orbit, and he was always violently anti-Red. Hence, the ALF-CIO gradually abandoned aban-doned its position at the head of the free-world labor movement, becoming acutally almost isolationist. In practical prac-tical terms, this meant a great reduction reduc-tion in U.S. labor's clout in international interna-tional politics, and made it far more difficult dif-ficult to negotiate and build liaisons with multinational companies. Kirkland is exactly as dead-set against Communism as was Meany, but he does not approve of an isolationist stand, feeling that U.S. labor could well do much to draw free world unions away from the Communist influence. Much of Kirkland's first year in office, if fact, was devoted to strengthening foreign diplomacy within global labor bounds. He visited many of the top industrialized in-dustrialized nations and intends to continue con-tinue this in the future, turning "ice cold" international labor relations into friendly tie-ups, strengthening pollec-,,,. ' tive bargaining links between the U.S. and free unions everywhere. INCREASING UNION STRENGTH The AFL-CIO's more-than-100 unions have a current membership of some 13.6 million, but in general there has been a decline in the total number of members. Organization, despite occasional occa-sional bursts of publicity in the media . indicating new programs, has been vir- tually at a standstill for some time. Many secondary union leaders want Kirkland to devote far more of the Federation's financial resources and energy to wholesale organizing drives in a serious effort to expand and revitalize its affiliates. If liberals push hard enough, they may have a better chance of moving the ALF-CIO somewhat to the left under Kirkland than they ever had under Meany. Should the United Auto Workers move back into the fold this spring or summer as seems more than likely at this writing the forces of liberalism would become definitely stronger in certain areas of organized labor. Building trades unions are, or course, quite conservative and, with a Republican White House and Congress, may tighten ranks to implement their views. Such division in the ranks could bring about infighting, something that might delay the type of unity necessary to give new power to the Federation. It should be noted that 1981 will be the centennial of American organized labor, which started in 1881 as the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions. There will be celebrations celebra-tions during the course if 1981, and all organized workers and their unions will be urged to reach out for new ways to serve the world's working people. One approach will surely be to strive for expanding cooperation between U.S. and foreign unions to improve global labor relations. |