Diversity Forum Sparks Talk About Change at the AFL-CIO Convention

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Diversity Forum Sparks Talk About Change at the AFL-CIO Convention(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Building a labor movement that is inclusive to young workers, people of color and the LGBT community is more than just holding a meeting or attending a conference, said Tahir Duckett, national young worker coordinator at the AFL-CIO, at a pre-conference diversity summit Sunday morning at the AFL-CIO 2013 Convention. "We're organizers," said Duckett. "We have to ask young workers to get more involved...it was someone investing time and taking interest in (young worker leaders) that encouraged more involvement in their union." More than 1,200 participants buzzed with earnest conversations on the topic of diversity in the labor movement at this packed conference. The table-top discussions from participants after leadership speeches and a panel discussion focused on figuring out why the labor movement has not become more diverse and involved at the community level, and then it shifted to a discussion about how to change. “It’s about power,” said a young labor leader from New York. “The same people who struggled and fought to break down the door are blocking the door!” A table near the back of the room had everybody laughing, and another table of mostly young Latinos and Latinas talked about the problem of boring procedural rules for union meetings and how it’s important for every meeting to have something to draw in new people and to make them feel welcome. Excerpted from a longer report on the AFL-CIO Now blog. For more updates from the diversity conference follow the hashtag #1uDiversity on Twitter. 
- Robert Struckman; AFL-CIO Now blog

 

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