Unions officially depart AFL-CIO

From The Washington Times comes this story of progress:

Two labor unions yesterday followed through on a threat to break ranks with the AFL-CIO, marking the first defection within the labor movement in 37 years.

The departure of the Teamsters and Service Employees International Union, with a combined 3.2 million members, is a major blow for an embattled movement struggling to increase its membership and cope with a rapidly changing work environment.

Many union presidents, labor analysts and Democratic Party leaders fear the split will weaken the movement politically and hurt unionized workers.

Why would centralization be necessary for labor? It seems obvious workers would be better off if their leaders were closer to them and their concerns. The truth is the AFL-CIO ceased to be about workers decades ago. It is all about electing the Democrasses.

The announcement came one day after the unions, with the hotel workers union and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), boycotted the convention yesterday over what they characterize as the AFL-CIO's failure to put in place sweeping reforms to reinvigorate a stalled labor movement.

"What was being done at the AFL-CIO was not working. We are going to do something different," Teamsters President James P. Hoffa said.

It is the first defection from the AFL-CIO since the United Auto Workers left briefly beginning in 1968.

AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney sharply criticized the unions in a speech before more than 1,000 supporters.

"The labor movement belongs to all of us. Our future should not be dictated by the demands of any group or the ambitions of any individual," Mr. Sweeney said.

Spoken like a true freedom-hating despot, Mr. Sweeney.