By Doug Cunningham

(Chicago) - Even as they announced their historic split from the AFL-CIO SEIU President Andy Stern and Teamsters President James Hoffa said they wanted to continue to cooperate with and support AFL-CIO unions. One of the biggest impacts of these two big unions leaving is the financial and organizational impact on Central Labor Councils and State AFL-CIO federations – where much of the grassroots work of organized labor is done.
Hoffa says the Teamsters will continue to support the local organizations unless forced by the AFL-CIO to stop.

[Jim Hoffa] : ”But we have found that it is time to change. It is time to form a coalition and a federation that will go out and do the right thing. We will organize. We have seven international unions that have joined out coalition.
We are going to start growing.”[

SEIU’s Andy Stern says the SEIU is respectfully disagreeing with the AFL-CIO and deciding to take its own road to organizing growth because workers are suffering and urgent change is needed in how the labor movement organizes and represents workers…

[Andy Stern] : “We know that when you’re heading down a road and you know where it ends you have to get off that road and go in a different direction. A direction where there’s hope. Today SEIU is respectfully making its own choice to go in a different direction that we believe actually will work to change American workers’ lives.”

Both Hoffa and Stern said their unions intend to continue to support and work with the AFL-CIO on political goals. Stern says it’s just a difference of opinion on how to restore the American Dream for working families.

[Stern 2] : “Our goal is not to divide the labor movement, but to rebuild it so that working people once again can achieve the American Dream.”

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