Abstract
This paper describes the AFL-CIO from its beginning as a representative of organized labor in the US. First, the paper describes the history of this organization and the merger between the The American Federation of Labor (AFL)and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). The paper highlights the differences between the two groups and how they managed their conflicts within the organization.

From the Paper
"From its beginning, organized labor has never had one cohesive definitive direction and philosophy. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) formed in 1881, and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) formed in 1935 had very different visions. The AFL supported trade specific workers, such as printers and electricians. It did not believe in large scale union organization within specific industries. Conversely, CIO focused on organizing specific industries such as the auto, steel and mine workers. . With polarized philosophies on labor, the merger of the AFL and CIO in..."

Tags:afl, cio, split, labor unions

Abstract
This paper discusses the current split within the American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) union federation. It describes the history of the separate organizations and the history of their merger. It then discusses the changes that have occurred since the AFL-CIO merger. It also looks at the implications of the split within the merged organization and its implications.

Table of Contents:
Executive Summary
History
A Changing Workplace
The Split
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Acuff says the working relationship with the disaffiliated unions is difficult, but the AFL-CIO's goal is still to someday return those unions to the AFL-CIO fold. There's no question that labor must change to attract workers. But perhaps unions may have a chance for resurgence with the current undercutting of the middle class that is prevalent in the United States today. However, in order for that to be the case, unions must make their commitment to the worker their major priority. While politics is important (politics influences public policy), it cannot be first and center. The worker must perceive there is a benefit to union membership, and that benefit is to work to protect the individual workers rights."

Tags:union, policy, labor, merger

Abstract
This paper examines the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the largest association of organized labor in the United States. The paper looks at the key issues of the organization, such as its attempt to influence politics, its position on Iraq, its focus on civil rights, its stance on immigration and its role as an umbrella organization. The paper discusses the organization's methods to achieve its goals and notes the challenges it faces in the future.

From the Paper
"The American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is the largest association of organized labor in the United States, representing roughly 13 million of the country's estimated 16.4 million union members. It is an umbrella organization, consisting of 86 different national and international unions, and has members employed in virtually every field (Ness, 2002, p. 359). With its mission to "unify the diverse interests of organized labor into a single voice," the AFL-CIO coordinates its national program on a state and local level through state and regional branches of the organization. They have 50 state federations of labor and more than 600 central labor councils. These organizations formulate national policy and coordinate state and regional activities (Ness, 2002, p. 361). The union itself is headed by the President and the Executive Council."

Tags:lobbying, worker, rights, immigration, umbrella, organization

Abstract
The paper discusses how the AFL-CIO, the nation's most famous union, continues to act as an advocate for workers in areas of topical concern, such as expanding healthcare to all Americans. The paper also discusses how the union is fighting against gender and racial discrimination inflicted upon workers all over the world. The paper explains that wage discrimination embraces everything from fair pay issues, to harassment and discrimination in the workplace, as well as traditional union issues like family leave and benefits.

From the Paper
"At a time when American organized labor unions are declining in their political and cultural influence, the AFL-CIO, the nation's most famous union, continues to act as an advocate for workers in areas of topical concern, such as expanding healthcare to all Americans, and fighting against gender and racial discrimination inflicted upon workers all over the world.
"Although the union has in the past won comprehensive health care coverage for many of its members during individual negotiations, in tribute to its philosophy to stand proud for all workers' rights, the union is currently actively lobbying the U.S. congress for national health care coverage for all Americans. The AFL-CIO website contains a link to a petition that everyone surfing the website can sign, union members and non-members alike."

Tags:healthcare, coverage, gender, race, discrimination, harassment, benefits

Abstract
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), a federation of autonomous labor unions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, and U.S. dependencies, was formed in 1955 by the merger of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). This paper traces the history of the AFL-CIO, including the events that led up to the 1955 merger. It also discusses the organization's political leanings, operations, and presidents.

From the Paper
"From the start of Kirkland's term, the AFL-CIO was forced to adapt to a number of adverse economic trends. Union membership dropped from 33% of all U.S. workers in 1960 to 14% in the late 1990s. To shore up organized labor's declining influence, the AFL-CIO concentrated on organizing service workers and public employees and improving labor unity. In 1981 the UAW rejoined the union; the Teamsters (1988) and United Mine Workers (1989) later followed."

Tags:UAW, social, welfare, Knights, of, Labor

Abstract
This paper provides a brief overview of the history and purpose of labor unions in America. In particular, it looks at the Association of Flight Attendants AFL-CIO which is a sector of the Communications Workers of America CWA. It looks at how ,over the course of the last few years, the union has gone through some major changes in strategy and structure as a result of the events of September 11, 2001 and then discusses these changes.

Outline:
Craft Division
Pairing the Crews

From the Paper
"Some participants in and observers of the U.S. labor movement have viewed unions as institutions with the potential to establish industrial democracy and socialism. Others have viewed unions as highly conservative institutions returning to workers the status lost in the transition from village societies to urban anonymity. In reality, their role has been more modest. In the early 1980's they enrolled in their ranks only one of five members of the labor force, down from one of four in the 1950's and 1960's. These workers had a somewhat greater say in their work lives and in the halls of Congress and state legislatures. They received somewhat greater pay and were more productive. They sometimes followed the political calls of their leaders and sometimes did not."

Tags:workers, pay, benefits

Abstract
The book "Not Your Father's Union Movement", edited by Jo-Ann Mort, is comprised of eighteen articles covering many of the central issues in the changing world of union activism. The paper shows that the main argument of the book is that the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) has undergone complete reorganization to meet the needs of working families in a changing economy and also to rebuild the critical link in fighting for worker's rights in a progressive and egalitarian America.

From the Paper
"The emphasis of the Bensinger article and many of the others in this book is on the argument that effective organization is the key to the re-emergence of the union as a powerful social, economic, and political force in society on behalf of those whom the corporations would exploit, if not intimidate and discourage into silence. Organization is the key to union success because it mobilizes workers and brings them together in a cooperative atmosphere which results in effective action (such as the HERE "sip-in" and marches), which, in turn, solidifies members' determination to fight for better pay and working conditions. In addition, success breeds more success, which convinces workers to see the fight through to little victory upon little victory at the local level, and this leads to bigger victories at the national level."

Tags:Dissent, John, Sweeney, Service, Employees

Abstract
The new leadership in the AFL-CIO is committed to putting the ?movement? back into the ?labor movement,? and there is now an opportunity for reflection on the role and strategy of organized labor in our society. This paper questions whether unions really matter anymore, and if they do, what their mission should be. Specifically, it asks whether there is a need to build a movement simply to represent our own members, or whether this movement have a wider role in society as a whole. Does the fate of the labor movement and workers? rights in the workplace concern more than the ranks of organized labor?

From the Paper
"For too long, there has been an irrational and self-defeating division of duties among progressives in the US Union workplaces, while other groups - the so-called social movements and identity groups - organize in the community. Even the term "labor movement" has been reduced to mean simply trade unions, which are supposed to focus on narrowly defined bread-and-butter workplace issues - wages and benefits. This topical and organizational division of turf misleadingly implies that there is an easy division between workplace issues and other social struggles. Furthermore, it suggests that wages and benefits are somehow unifying and other social issues are divisive (Blanton 2003). These separate spheres of influence have resulted in the sad fact that US progressives have often marched in solidarity with labor movements and workers around the world, but often fail to consider the working majority here at home."

Tags:wage, benefit, rights, privelege, pension, worker

Abstract
This seven-page undergraduate research paper discusses the career of American labor leader and AFL-CIO president George Meany, and evaluates what factors accounted for Meany's success and failures as a labor leader.

Abstract
Recent reports highlight how the gender gap in wages affects women's retirement as well. According to a report from the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER), older women are twice as likely as men to be poor after retiring. Compared to their male counterparts, older women have to make do with less Social Security benefits, fewer and smaller pensions and less individual savings. This paper examines the growing fiscal health problem many women face upon retirement. Instead of having a nest egg to live upon, many women face the real possibility of poverty, even after retiring from a lifetime of hard work.
The first part of the paper presents a general picture of the fiscal resources available to and problems faced by women upon their retirement. In addition to this general picture, the paper pays special attention to the problems faced by minorities like Hispanic and African-American women. The next part of the paper looks at the factors behind these problems, such as divorce, widowhood and women's care- giving duties. The main factor behind many women's inability to save for retirement, however, remains the gender gap that continues to plague much of the working world. The third part of the paper thus explores the effects of gender on the pay scales of men and women across disparate fields, from academia to management to blue-collar operations. It also looks at how these unequal pay scales continue, despite legislation that mandates equity in pay. The fourth part of the paper examines the link between the gender gap in wages to the phenomenon of women's poverty upon retirement. It shows how pay inequity means that women work more, earn less and as a result, often have less money for their retirement. Finally, the paper looks at the steps women can take to address these issues and prepare for their retirement.

From the Paper
"In a study of wage differentials across the service professions, Margaret Gibelman found that the median salary for both sexes is higher in service occupations that are predominantly male, such as construction and surveying. Conversely, the mean wages for both sexes is significantly lower in occupations where women comprise more than 75 percent of the workforce, such as nursing and receptionists (Gibelman). Gibelman's study implies that women suffer from two forms of discrimination in the service and sales industries. First is discrimination on an individual level, where women get paid less than their male counterparts for the same work. Second, there is a marked discrimination against occupations that have a large female employee base and could therefore be labeled as "women's occupations." It is difficult to make comparisons between occupations like cashiers, 90 percent of whom are women, and janitors, 70 percent of whom are men. However, the fact remains that even male-dominated professions that utilize unskilled labor generally still command higher median incomes."

Tags:Alzheimer?s, disease, investment, AFL-CIO