By Jesse Russell

And then there were three. The United Food and Commercial Workers have become the third union to break off from the AFL-CIO within a week. They follow the Service Employees International Union and Teamsters who left at the beginning of this week's AFL-CIO convention.

UFCW President Joe Hansen said in a letter to AFL-CIO President John Sweeney "in order to pursue the most effective course of action for its members and all workers in its core industries, is terminating its affiliation with the AFL-CIO effective immediately."

Hansen also expressed a willingness to keep an open and collaborative relationship with the Federation saying "our commitment to work with the AFL-CIO and unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO on issues and programs where we share common goals remains unchanged. "I believe our movement is united in our basic principles and values, even if we pursue different strategies. The UFCW and its local unions will continue to fund and work with state and local federations in politics and lobbying, and for mutual support of worker struggles."

There is no word on the intentions of UNITE-HERE, The Laborers International of North America and the United Farm Workers. Those three AFL member unions are also members of the Change to Win Coalition.

(Go to our raw audio section to hear UFCW Communications Director Greg Denier's comments about the UFCW disaffiliation from the AFL-CIO.)