Working with Coalitions

The U.S. labor movement in its most rapid stage of growth in the 1930's was supported by a broad array of coalition partners. This ranged from the Social Gospel proponents of the major religious institutions to community organizations and political leaders across the country. For various historical reasons as the coalition links to organized labor weakened during the 1950's, the isolated movement began its membership decline to where we are today.

A renewed labor leadership is again reaching out to its traditional partners in the search for social and economic justice. Civil rights groups, religious and community based forces as well as campus and political leaders are again reviving their connections to the labor movement.

The massive corporate propaganda campaign to isolate the trade union movement as a "special interest", "labor boss ridden" "dues collection agency" is a transparent attempt to drive a wedge between a new generation of potential labor allies and the embattled union movement.

The future of the AFM, as well as the broad labor movement, lies in cementing its ties to community forces, including new immigrants, and religious, campus and political leaders. More and more average Americans are not signing on the "Contract on America" popularized by the New Right. Unbridled Corporate rule is seen everyday as alien to the very spirit of democracy and popular voice that is embodied in the trade union movement. Our coalition partners are there. We have only to reach out to them to reestablish the strength that working families once enjoyed. We did it before. We can do it again. An example of past coalition work was the AFM's successful STAR campaign.