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AFL-CIO Mobilizes Young Workers

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AFL-CIO Mobilizes Young Workers U N I O N S AFL-CIO Mobilizes Young Workers Elizabeth Shuler and Daniel Marschall he future of the American AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka labor movement depends told delegates at the federation’s 2009 on mobilizing young work- convention.1 “These men and women Ters and repositioning unions need a strong voice. But when they look so that they are more appeal- at unions, they don’t ing to young people across see themselves—only demographic groups and oc- “The labor movement a grainy, faded pic- cupations. The AFL-CIO sees ture from another Elizabeth Shuler and Daniel Marschall can’t ask the next youth outreach as imperative time. The labor to its future. The federation ฀฀฀ movement can’t ask AFL-CIO’s youth movement is embedding it in organizing ฀฀฀฀ the next generation strategies, issue campaigns, and of workers to change ฀ ฀฀฀฀฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀ ฀฀฀฀฀ public policies that will revital- how they earn their voice. ize unions and widen the path- model of trade unionism. living to fit our mod- ฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀ ways to collective action for all el of trade union- to attract, educate, involve, and empower No!” workers. Yet the task of reshap- ism. No! We have ฀ —Richard Trumka ing union structures and revis- to change our ap- ฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀ ing traditions to be more rele- proach to organizing ฀฀฀฀ vant to the Millennial Generation, which and representation to better meet their includes those born between the early needs. And we will!” 1980s and early 2000s, is a challenging Unions and young workers need each one. Since 2009, the AFL-CIO has made other. Young people need the influence a concerted effort to take on this chal- and institutional power of unions to lenge, supporting counteract the many economic and social an ongoing initia- problems that challenge their generation. tive that is engag- Unions need young people to replace the ing and preparing members who are retiring and aging out young trade union- of the workforce, to contribute new ideas ists nationwide for and approaches, to engage in political leadership roles. action, and to become active in issue cam- “We need a paigns, such as raising wages. Without the unionism that influence of unions—the AFL-CIO alone Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO makes sense to the represents some 12.5 million workers in president next generation,” 56 international unions and its commu- 6 PERSPECTIVES ON WORK / 2014 01 The AFL-CIO initiative developed in ahead financially and were less likely two stages, starting with demonstrating to work in jobs in which they received the need for a program and building sup- health care benefits and paid leave. Con- port among affiliated unions. That phase ditions were especially precarious for was guided by the analysis of survey low-income minority workers, 70 per- results and the forward-looking activities cent of whom lacked sufficient savings of a state labor federation. Once the in- to cover two months of living expenses. stitutional pieces were in place, stage two Though these financial difficulties focused on building the capacity of young contributed to a drop in optimism about worker groups from the ground up. the future, other attitudes suggested that young people are open to the sort of col- Stage One: Identifying the Challenge lective action advocated by unions. Near- and Building Support ly 75 percent of young workers called A 2009 poll found that workers under for improvements on the job. A majority the age of 35 were struggling to get agreed that employees were more likely nity affiliate, Working America —groups Timeline of AFL-CIO Young Worker Initiative of young workers face the prospect of Date Activity confronting corporate power as isolated individuals, rather than as a collective ฀฀ ฀฀฀Young Workers: A Lost Decade ฀฀฀ force. ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ The economic and social problems ฀฀฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ facing the Millennial Generation are ฀฀฀฀ well documented. Unemployment levels ฀฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ remain high among young workers. Dur- ฀฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ ing the 2009–2011 period, 56 percent of participants 22-year-old recent college graduates were ฀฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀ underemployed, working jobs that do ฀฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ not require a college degree. 2 A Demos ฀ study found that 5.7 million workers ฀฀฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ between the ages of 18 and 34 were ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ unemployed in 2012, with another 4.7 ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ million underemployed (working part- ฀฀฀฀ time or dropping out of the labor force ฀฀฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ altogether). 3 High unemployment and ฀ the tendency for more young workers to ฀฀฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ be employed in low-wage jobs have led ฀฀฀ to greater numbers living with their par- ฀฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ents and a delay in their ability to start ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ their own households. ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ Unemployment among the young is ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ “hitting them at a time when it’s really important for them to step into adult- ฀฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ hood,” explains AFL-CIO Young Work- ฀฀฀฀฀฀ er Program Coordinator Tahir Duckett. ฀฀฀ ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ “Not buying their first house, living at ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ home with their parents—that’s a drag ฀฀฀ on the entire economy.” 4 PERSPECTIVES ON WORK / 2014 7 AFL-CIO Mobilizes Young Workers to get workplace problems solved when immigration reform that appeal to young Some of the most compelling dis- they approach employers as a group activists. cussions, she said, emerged from the rather than as isolated individuals.5 Attendees expressed their commit- event’s “Unconference” feature that al- Other polls during the 2007–2009 ment to going home and recruiting other lowed participants to propose workshop period concluded that Millennials tended young people. Activists from Oregon, sessions on the fly and determine which to view unions as important institutions for example, left the Next Up conference attracted the greatest shared interest by that are necessary to protect workers and to form Young Emerging Labor Leaders voting. Participants supported the mes- help them obtain their fair share of gains (YELL), which brought together activ- sage of Occupy Wall Street, marched in in productivity.6 ists from fourteen unions at their own solidarity with local public transit work- In Massachusetts, labor leaders had convention that year. Since then, YELL ers, and explored growing ties between been active in Frontlash, a 1980s AFL- has participated in workers’ rights hear- the labor and environmental movements. CIO youth group, and recognized the ings, volunteered in election campaigns, The California delegation alone com- need to convene young activists and defended public employee rights, demon- prised fifty young activists from at least cultivate aspiring leaders. State officials strated against anti-union corporations, ten unions who agreed to establish a proposed a youth outreach program to and created space for young union mem- statewide young workers program.8 build an engaged community of young bers to hone their leadership skills. With two national summits, an of- unionists. During its inaugural Futures ficial advisory body, a comprehensive Convention in early 2008, participants toolkit to guide local groups, and the from across Massachusetts heard stories continued support by the AFL-CIO’s top about how seasoned leaders had become officers, the initiative had established committed to trade unionism, listened to the infrastructure necessary for young speeches from elected officials, planned worker groups to blossom. More than social activities, and elected a young forty young worker groups now are unionist to sit on the Massachusetts active in twenty-four states across the AFL-CIO Executive Council. Futures country, according to the AFL-CIO’s Ta- Conventions have continued annually hir Duckett. While the groups align their since then. work on issues with national AFL-CIO Drawing upon the enthusiasm and priorities, they are also immersed in lo- A report on the first summit was pre- interest generated by their Futures Com- cal struggles and devising creative ways sented to the AFL-CIO Executive Coun- mittee, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO pro- to attract young unionists. Washington’s cil, which agreed that year to host anoth- posed a resolution at the 2009 AFL-CIO YELL holds paintball fights for members. er summit, establish a National Young convention to train young leaders and Chicago’s Young Workers sponsors a la- Workers Advisory Council (YWAC), “actively develop initiatives and pro- bor history pub crawl. Baltimore’s Young prepare a toolkit to guide young worker grams aimed at bringing young workers Trade Unionists holds a career day for groups, and engage in other media and into the labor movement” at all levels. high school students and sponsors an an- organizing activities that would spread Delegates embraced the resolution. nual stewards and awards dinner. the groups to multiple locations.7 To kick off the national young work- And by building community and a When the YWAC convened, its mem- er program, the AFL-CIO sponsored a sense of purpose, some young work- bers learned about the formation of number of regional listening sessions in er groups already have contributed to young worker groups in several areas spring 2010, building momentum for the impressive victories. In Boston, young and began to plan the second Next Up first Next Up Young Workers Summit workers played an important role in the Summit, which drew some 800 union that summer. That gathering attracted election of Elizabeth Warren to the U.S. activists to Minneapolis. Sara Steffens of 400 participants, who began a conversa- Senate. They targeted young workers for Communication Workers of America Dis- tion about how to involve young people persuasion and turnout while using the trict 9 reported that this meeting “didn’t in the labor movement and drew up a election period to build their organiza- feel like your average union conference,” game plan for training the next gen- tion and establish partnerships. By elec- with alternative music blaring between eration of leaders. Attendees offered a tion day, they had mobilized 135 young speeches, a smartphone app supplement- variety of proposals, from pushing for workers, contacted more than 3,000 vot- ing the paper agenda, and participants live college tuition reduction and health care ers in neighborhoods, and communicated tweeting their reactions to speakers.
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