Crisis in Colorado's AFL-CIO Leads to Cleaning House and Cutting Heads

The big labor union news in Colorado this week seems to be not about the solidarity of the labor movement, but about how divided the state AFL-CIO is.

This has prompted John Sweeney (top union boss and president of the AFL-CIO in Washington) to go to Colorado and "restructure" the state federation, as well as "eliminate" the top two positions.

Ordinarily, the terms "restructuring" and "job elimination" are reserved for the corporate world. However, in this case, Sweeney says he has "the power" to remove Colorado AFL-CIO President Steve Adams and Secretary-Treasurer Paul Mendrick from their elected posts.

Never mind the fact that these two were elected, right?

For his part, like some corporate executive being oustered, Steve Adams has chosen to resign with a settlment and a consulting package.

Meanwhile, Paul Mendrick is fighting his elimination, and other members of the state AFL-CIO aren't too pleased with the trusteeship either.

Members of the state AFL-CIO executive board, which included representatives from about three dozen unions in the state, also have expressed displeasure with the
changes imposed at their organization.

And why shouldn't they be upset? They're being replaced by a smaller committee, hand-picked by Sweeney....All part of the "restructuring."

So, what's the real reason behind this "hostile takeover"? Politics.

Yep, that's right. The AFL-CIO, according to Boss Sweeney, is cleaning house in Colorado for one simple reason: "We figured it had to be done before our next political campaign started."

Yet another example of union hypocrisy at its finest!