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)
Union Reformers, Meet the Press.
AUD is bringing together four
exceptional labor journalists for a discussion of unionism and union
reform:
Juan Gonzalez (The Daily News, Democracy Now!)
Tom Robbins (The Village Voice) Mimi
Rosenberg (Building Bridges) Richard Steier (The Chief Leader)
Location: Musicians Local 802 Club Room, 322 West 48th Street in Manhattan Time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. -- Speakers start at 7pm. Come early to mingle with light
refreshments and free drinks. Save by buying group tickets! Inquire
about student discounts. Tickets: Single $50; Party of Four $180; Party of Five $200
Opposition wins in TWU Local 100. "An insurgent slate won control of Transport Workers Union Local 100,
the 37,000-member union of New York City subway and bus workers. John
Samuelsen, heading the opposition Take Back Our Union slate, was
elected president, defeating Curtis Tate, the incumbent. TBOU took all
four of the top citywide officers, four of the seven vice presidencies,
and a majority of the incoming executive board." (Read more on new AUD website)
Reformers win in UPS local once headed by Ron Carey. "Teamsters for a Democratic Union has some interesting news to report. In the 7000-member UPS Local 804 in New York, the
insurgent reform Members United slate won all top positions with 68% of
the vote... Tim
Sylvester, the new president who got 2348 to the defeated rival's 1091,
said, "We're committed to [a] reform program and tapping the power of
an informed and organized membership."" (Read more on new AUD website)
New national union aims to unite nurses. "Delegates from three major unions of registered nurses, meeting in
Phoenix on December 7, merged their forces into a new national
organization, the National Nurses United. The three founding affiliates
--- the California Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Nurses
Association, and the United American Nurses --- report a combined
membership of 150,000. To thunderous applause from some 150 delegates,
one of the three elected co-presidents proclaimed that this creation of
the "largest union of direct care nurses is about a century overdue." (Read more on new AUD website)
Moving slowly while opportunity knocks at IUOE local 14. "It was back in July 2008 that the government settled its civil RICO
lawsuit against International Union of Operating Engineers Local 14,
the 1,600-member union of heavy construction equipment and crane
operators in New York City. The government charged that Local 14 had
been dominated by organized crime; the consent decree that settled the
case provides for two court-appointed monitors armed with wide-ranging
powers to eradicate corruption, establish a fair job referral system,
require fair elections, and promote union democracy..." (Read more on new AUD website)
Letter to the editor: regarding "A flawed referendum for Massachesetts Nurses". "It's unfortunate that it took this issue for me to realize that
organizations such as yours exist, but I'm fortunate that I had the
opportunity to talk with you and your colleagues about our issues as
well as learning about the Association for Union Democracy." (Read more on the new AUD website)
Appeals court upholds member's right to file pre- and post-election complaint with DOL. By Stephan Kass. "In Solis v. Transportation Workers Union (TWU) Local 234, the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit decided ...to
overthrow a Federal District Court decision ... that had dismissed an enforcement action by the Secretary
of Labor based on her finding of probable cause that Local 234 of the
Transport Workers Union had violated the LMRDA in disqualifying a slate
of candidates for election to union offices." (Read more on the new AUD website)
Union democracy = union power. By Barbara Harvey. "Incumbent union officers tend to think of union democracy as a threat
to incumbent power. This is a basic misconception. Union democracy is
about union member power, and union member power is union power.
Because union democracy activism usually focuses on deposing corrupt,
ineffectual, or uncaring union officers, it is not widely understood
that an effective union is one that cultivates its members' power." (Read more on the new AUD website)
Unionists gather to discuss union democracy, meet LMRDA experts."Helena Worthen and Joe Berry were coordinators of an event on Nov
14, 2009 designed especially for elected officers of labor unions. It
was sponsored by the University of Illinois School of Labor and
Employment Relations Labor Education Program. Worthen and Berry are
holding a similar event on March 13, 2010. Here is their perspective on
the November forum." (Read more on the new AUD website)
In Memoriam: Sam Hirsch. Sam Hirsch died on December 3 in
Manhattan at the age of 88. He was a longtime enthusiastic supporter
of AUD and active in many labor causes.
Union
Democracy Review is moving!
Selected stories from the latest issues of Union Democracy Review and the
$100 Plus Club News can now be found on the "Association for Union Democracy
(dev)" website: http://aud2.uniondemocracy.org/pubs
(1/18/10)
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"
