Unions to hold their own political convention [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Unions to hold their own political convention
By SAM HANANEL
Associated Press
Published: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 6:54 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 6:54 p.m.

Union leaders upset that this summer's Democratic National Convention will be held in right-to-work North Carolina plan to stage their own political gathering in a more union-friendly state.

Labor officials say the idea of holding a separate "labor summit" a few weeks ahead of the convention won wide support Wednesday at the AFL-CIO's annual winter meeting.

Most unions are still planning to attend the Charlotte convention, but more than a dozen trade unions are boycotting it. They're angry that Charlotte has no union hotels and North Carolina is the least unionized state in the nation. Some labor leaders consider the choice an affront to a core Democratic constituency.

Ed Hill, president of the Electrical Workers union, said members of Congress, governors and other elected officials would all be invited to attend the labor summit in a union-friendly city, possibly Philadelphia. The gathering would be held three or four weeks before the Democratic National Convention, which is set to begin Sept. 3.


Read more: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20120314/APA/1203141083