What does the split in the AFL-CIO mean for the rank and file?
. . In late July, several national unions, led by the leaders of the SEIU and the Teamsters, split from the AFL-CIO and formed the Change to Win Coalition (CTWC). While only a relative handful of national unions were involved in the split, they were very large unions that accounted for about a third of AFL-CIO membership. So this is a big split in terms of size. Whether it’s really a big split from the bankrupt, class-collaborationist orientation of the AFL-CIO is another matter. . The CTWC leaderships’ differences with the AFL-CIO leaders are limited, so workers cannot place their faith in either side in the split. But alongside of this dispute, there are also signs of a rift between the rank and file and the policy of their union officials. In struggles like the 2003-04 strike of southern California grocery workers, the rank and file has shown its fighting spirit. But workers are tired of seeing their struggles sold out by union officials as happened in that strike. Many workers want
