Diversity Dialogue Highlights Leadership's Role

In the latest in a series of frank discussions about ways to ensure that the leadership of the union movement is as diverse as its membership, nearly 200 union activists and leaders -- including a contingent from the Metro Washington Council -- met in Philadelphia Saturday, June 16, for the second of four AFL-CIO Power in Diversity dialogues. "Turnout was predominantly rank-and-file members," reports DC CBTU President Gwend Johnson, who added "It was a good meeting with a good crowd and good dialogue. The question is where this is going to go." Added Metro Council President Jos Williams – who moderated the event – “there was lots of good venting, but the challenge is finding constructive solutions and national consensus.” On the AFL-CIO blog, James Parks reports that participants "looked at some of the strategies that have worked to bring diversity to their unions" and discussed "problems that exist in attaining diversity." Discussion also focused on "the best ways to meet today's organizing and political challenges and opportunities by engaging all members in [labor's] struggle," Parks reports. Click here to read the full report. Photo courtesy of Gwend Johnson