Nobody’s breaking for lunch, as journalists race around from room to room to meet and interview leaders of the seven unions which have set up this Unite to Win federation. Here in the press room, we just had the chance to do a short question and answer session with Bruce Raynor and John Wilhelm of UNITE HERE.
Some of the questions were relatively tough — like how would adding $12 million from the Unite to Win per capita dues to the $750 million already being spent make a big difference? Raynor chose to emphasize that it was not the dollars — though they mattered — but the sharing of organizers and experiences that really counts.
The UNITE HERE leaders denied that talks were taking place with the National Education Association (NEA) — which is not affiliated to the AFL-CIO, but did say that Change to Win chair Anna Burger was talking to the AFL-CIO.
Raynor gave an example of the kind of thing the unions will do by describing a strike in New Haven some years ago when the joint action by thousands of union members (from different unions) paralyzed the city and led to victory.