An Empty Shell Of A Monolith

The once almighty AFL-CIO, the foremost symbol of the American union movement, is shattering, and in so doing, reflecting the diminishing power and influences in the US. From AP:

Jolting organized labor, the Teamsters and a massive service employees' union decided Sunday to bolt the AFL-CIO, paving way for two other labor groups to sever ties in the movement's biggest schism since the 1930s.

The four dissident unions, representing nearly one-third of the AFL-CIO's 13 million members, announced they were boycotting the federation's convention that begins Monday, a step that was widely considered to be a precursor to leaving the federation.

The four are joining three other unions in the "Change to Win Coalition" which hopes to reverse the decline of union influence in national politics. The change is part a major falling out with AFL-CIO boss John Sweeney, and partly stark recognition that the status quo is not getting the unions anywhere.