Union leaders act to withdraw from AFL-CIO Disaffiliation expected to benefit thousands of Maine state workers

AUGUSTA – Leaders of a union representing thousands of state government workers have voted to pull out of Maine’s organized labor federation.

This month’s action by the Maine State Employees Association, which, with more than 10,000 members, is also known as Local 1989 of the Service Employees International Union, comes 16 months after a schism rocked the national AFL-CIO.

“A year after our international union, SEIU, disaffiliated from the national AFL-CIO to build the 6-million-member Change to Win labor federation, the MSEA-SEIU board of directors has voted to disaffiliate from the Maine AFL-CIO,” the state workers union declared in its latest newsletter.

“The leadership of MSEA-SEIU made this difficult decision on Nov. 17 after recognizing the significant opportunities and benefits of developing closer relationships with the Central Labor Councils throughout Maine and after joining the newly created Working Maine Coalition.”

MSEA Executive Director Tim Belcher suggested recently that the union’s continued involvement in various organized labor groupings could still enable employee representatives to coordinate activities.

In further explaining the decision to disaffiliate at the state level, the MSEA-SEIU newsletter said:

“The message from membership at the 2006 annual convention of tighter fiscal responsibility did not go unheeded, and was considered during the decision-making process. The board of directors felt it was imperative to look at the opportunity to build positive relationships within Maine’s labor family, and to do so in a manner that provides the best return for any money spent for participation or affiliation.”

Belcher declined earlier this month to offer financial details.

“MSEA-SEIU has long enjoyed a positive working relationship with the Maine AFL-CIO and has every reason to expect that will not change,” the newsletter said.

“The Working Maine Coalition includes the Maine AFL-CIO and the Maine Education Association. It will ensure that the voice of working families in Maine is heard on shared issues such as the economy, the future direction of our communities, as well as the importance of ensuring that everyone in Maine has access to quality, affordable health care.”

Nationally, the AFL-CIO has had about 9 million members since the schism, while the breakaway Change to Win alliance has had roughly 6 million members.

Original projections at the time of the national labor schism pegged potential losses for the Maine AFL-CIO at more than 14,000 of its 50,000 members. Maine AFL-CIO President Ed Gorham, assessing the situation in a 2005 Labor Day address, sought to rein in alarm.

“Unions will regroup, form new alliances and coalitions and establish new ways of working together. Indeed in the labor movement we have watched this happen over and over for more than 150 years. But it is essential to remember that these unions are not disbanding or ceasing to exist. They are still part of a vital labor movement seeking ways to become more efficient and effective,” Gorham said in prepared remarks.