Abstract

A Union of Unions

The author comments on the merger of the unions HERE and UNITE. There are bigger American unions, but none that are feistier organizers than HERE (hotel and restaurant workers) and UNITE (historically garment and textile workers). So when UNITE president Bruce Raynor and HERE president John Wilhelm announced plans in late February to merge their unions, it was not surprising that they said they intended to organize workers on a far grander scale together than they had separately. The merger could indeed spark much-needed growth of private-sector unions (down last year to representing 8.2 percent of the private work force), building on the growing tendency of unions to work in concert as they face tougher, more global employers. Over the past decade UNITE's core apparel and textile industries have lost 800,000 jobs, mainly to imports and relocation of work overseas. But the union has successfully organized industrial laundries and retail distribution centers and recently returned to its old base in retail stores. Although American unions are weakened because they are so fragmented, mergers or industrial realignments alone are no cure. Whether they merge or find more varied ways to cooperate, unions need more focused and large-scale organizing, broader alliances, consistent progressive politics and greater involvement of members.