Washington - AFL-CIO President John Sweeney has replaced the federation's organizing director in a move reflecting concerns about recruiting new members.
Sweeney moved aside Richard Bensinger, the man he brought to Washington to lead the federation's organizing efforts, the federation announced . He was replaced by Kirk Adams, AFL-CIO's southern regional director.
The action was taken in consultation with several union presidents who sit on the federation's organizing committee.
When he took over the federation in 1995, Sweeney said beefing up labor's ranks was his No. 1 concern. Without a greater share of the work force, organized labor risked becoming more marginalized as a force in American life.
The federation said Adams, who is 47, has broad experience in union organizing and in political campaigns. Besides community organizing and managing large organizing efforts among health care workers, he served as campaign director and political director for former Texas Gov. Ann Richards.
Organized labor has enjoyed several high-profile successes during Sweeney's tenure, including the United Parcel Service strike, the defeat of fast-track trade legislation and the defeat of California Proposition 226.
But while unions have scored in the political and public relations arenas, much-touted organizing efforts have shown mixed results. While some 400,000 new members signed union cards last year, that failed to keep up with attrition. Labor represents about 13 % of the nonfarm work force.
Bensinger, a high-energy organizer from Colorado, was never shy about blaming union leaders' laziness for labor's decline over the past two decades. Though much admired among his fellow organizers, his direct manner rubbed some officials the wrong way.
Bensinger's supporters have complained that the slow progress in recruiting was due to the reluctance of many local union leaders to invest more resources in organizing, not a lack of leadership on his part. Others said, however, that his day-to-day management was at issue.
“Richard Bensinger has done a good job getting the federation's new organizing department off the ground,” Sweeney said in a statement. “He has inspired unions at every level to shift their focus and resources to organizing. His leadership skills will continue to be an integral part of the growth of the labor movement.”
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