Directly Affiliated Local Union - DALUs and Solidarity Charters

DALUs and Solidarity Charters

The disaffiliation of several major unions in 2005 led the AFL-CIO to reconsider the use of DALUs. Many of the disaffiliated unions provided the majority of members, staff and funds to AFL-CIO state federations and central labour councils. The loss of these resources would not only have effectively dismantled the AFL-CIO presence in these areas but eviscerated the labor movement as well.

A number of AFL-CIO trade departments—in particular the Building and Construction Trades and the Metal Trades—would also have been strongly and negatively affected. These trade departments had established highly complex recognition, hiring hall and jurisdictional agreements in their respective industries. The defection of even one large union from the AFL-CIO could unravel these agreements.

In August 2005, the AFL-CIO executive council approved the creation of 'solidarity charters.' The charters would be offered to locals of the Change to Win Federation (CTW). Final agreement between CTW and the AFL-CIO on a funding mechanism occurred on October 17, 2005.

Sweeney directly equated solidarity charters to DALUs.

CTW locals with solidarity charters have full voting rights in the AFL-CIO bodies with which they chose to affiliate, and CTW members and officers may run for and hold office in these bodies. A per capita 'solidarity fee' is paid by the CTW local into the AFL-CIO's Solidarity Fund to defray the administrative costs of maintaining the state and local bodies as well as support their programs. Receipt of a solidarity charter also requires the CTW local to agree not to raid an existing AFL-CIO affiliate or interfere in an AFL-CIO organizing campaign.

More than 1,600 CTW locals subsequently received solidarity charters.

On February 27, 2006, the AFL-CIO and the National Education Association (NEA) agreed to permit NEA local unions to join AFL-CIO state and local bodies as a 'directly affiliated NEA local' (DANL). The agreement expressly notes that DANLs have the same rights and obligations as any DALU. This include representation and voting, and coverage under the 'no-raid' provisions of Articles XX and XXI of the AFL-CIO constitution.

In December 2005, the Metal Trades Department amended its constitution and bylaws to permit CTW unions to receive solidarity charters as well. The Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) followed suit in March 2006. Other AFL-CIO trade departments were expected to do so as well. A number of CTW international unions subsequently received solidarity charters from the Metal Trades and BCTD.