By Jesse Russell

On one of the hottest days of the year in Chicago, the top boiled off of the house of labor. Four members of the Change to Win Coalition announced at a press conference Sunday that they would be boycotting the convention for the AFL-CIO - one day before it was due to begin. Speculation continues as to what the SEIU, Teamsters, UFCW and UNITE-Here will do next. The SEIU and Teamsters have scheduled press conferences for today. During the press conference the four unions issued a letter to AFL President John Sweeney listing 11 members of their unions that would not run for re-election or accept nominations for positions on the AFL-CIO executive council. During the press conference, SEIU President Andy Stern said the coalition is not trying to split labor, but is trying to rebuild it. He said the seven unions that make up the coalition believe labor is headed in the wrong direction and it is time to take a new road.

Meanwhile in a hotel directly across the river, unions supporting John Sweeney for reelection as AFL President held a rally led by Presidents of various unions in the Federation. AFSCME President Gerald McEntee alluded to the planned boycott suggesting that no matter what happens the AFL will end the convention united:

[McEntee]: We are here today to say that we will be here Monday, we will be here Wednesday, we will be here Thursday, and maybe some others will be gone but by Thursday we will be united in solidarity.

Sweeney addressed a large contingent of supporters, using his speech to express that the most important thing to the labor movement is solidarity.

[Sweeney]: Keep faith with our solidarity. You just never know even those who have lost their common sense might come to their senses someday.

Dennis Serrette, President of the United Association of Labor Education, a founder of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists says organized labor is now experiencing the repercussions of not taking on trade issues when jobs began to move south years ago. He also says a greater emphasis needs to be placed on organizing, but it is going to be an up hill battle:

[Serette1]: This is like a closing the door after the horse is out situation. We are going out to organize with one leg and one arm tied behind us, which is an impossible situation when you are in crisis.

Serette added that he felt much of the rift at the top of the AFL was due to ego and could be resolved with a cooling off period.

[Serette2]: If it goes too long, if it happens, we may not ever see labor, you know, the way we see it today.