On the last day of the AFL-CIO convention, UNITE HERE President John Wilhelm announced that his union is leaving Change to Win and rejoining the AFL-CIO. The announcement, while not unexpected, will soon to followed by a similar decision by the Laborers Union, and represents a likely fatal blow to SEIU’s efforts to create a competing labor Federation. Meanwhile, some delegates staying at Pittsburgh’s Sheraton Hotel at Station Square saw firsthand why UNITE HERE felt compelled to end any connection with SEIU. UNITE HERE Local 57 represents the Sheraton, but hotel management is backing SEIU’s efforts to raid the union. To this end, it sought to prevent workers from wearing Local 57 buttons designed to show their loyalty to UNITE HERE. But what management and SEIU did not count upon was that representatives of the International Labor Communications Association (ILCA) would be also staying at the Sheraton, and when they heard of this denial of workers rights to wear the Local 57 button they took action. Not only did ILCA meet with management to demand and secure a written memo telling workers that they would not face retaliation for wearing the button, but 80 ILCA members showed their support for workers rights by wearing the buttons themselves. Now that’s solidarity!

The AFL-CIO annual convention closes today with UNITE HERE's announcement that it is leaving Change to Win and rejoining the AFL-CIO. It’s quite a coup for incoming AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, and brings UNITE HERE a powerful ally in its struggle against SEIU.

SEIU’s Pittsburgh Mischief