AFL-CIO Sets Million-Per-Year Organizing Goal

ByJohn S. McClenahen As the U.S. economy heads toward its 10th consecutive year of expansion, the Washington-based AFL-CIO is intent on doing something about organized labor's relatively low absolute numbers and percentage of the workforce. Like most companies, the labor federation is setting growth as its goal. Meeting in Chicago this week, the AFL-CIO's Executive Council adopted an organizing goal of 1 million members annually, to be achieved "as soon as possible." That pace translates to about 80,000 newly organized workers, on average, each month. "Many of our unions have taken strong steps to increase organizing in recent years, and we are proud of the progress that has been made. But the pace today is still not sufficient," the labor council says.