Embrace Breakaway Unions

Labor Parade To Bridge Divisions

By GINGER ADAMS OTIS

The annual Labor Day Parade sponsored by the AFL-CIO and its New York City Central Labor Council will be all about unity and strength, organizers said last
week, telegraphing to the world that recent rifts among national unions haven't rippled down to the state or local level.

DENIS HUGHES: In grand marshal's role.

Parade Chairman Stuart Applebaum embodies the theme of the parade - he's president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union and a member of the Change to Win Federation that last year split from the AFL-CIO. He also retains his executive vice president seat with the CLC.

Locals Still in Fold

The same is true for Edgar Romney, manager of UNITE HERE and the secretarytreasurer of Change to Win. He'll share grand marshal duties at this year's parade with Denis Hughes, president of the state AFL-CIO.

All of the local affiliates that belong to the seven unions that form the Change to Win Federation will march in this year's parade, and remain recognized members of the AFL-CIO and the CLC, said Mr. Applebaum.

"You don't really see division here in New York, in the city or on the state level," he said. "Here the unions share a unity of purpose and a unity of vision, and it's what drives our labor movement forward."

The Chief-Leader/Michel Friang THEY LOVE A PARADE: Stuart Applebaum (left), president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, and Ted Jacobsen, secretary of the New York City AFL-CIO Central Labor Council, haven't let a split among several national unions affect their relationship. Mr. Applebaum, a member of the dissident Change to Win group, is still chairman of this year's city Labor Day Parade, an event that has occurred almost every year since 1882.

CLC Secretary Ted H. Jacobsen said his organization was able to maintain its cohesion due to the efforts of President Brian M. McLaughlin, who is also a Queens State Assemblyman.

"We are pleased that because of Brian's ability to keep the CLC united, and Denis Hughes's ability on the state level, we can say that this year's theme is unity, despite the split," said Mr. Jacobsen.

Probe Casts a Shadow

Mr. McLaughlin and the CLC have also had to grapple with a Federal investigation into allegations of rigged bids for street-lighting contracts in the city. Mr. McLaughlin's CLC office and his district office in Queens were raided by FBI agents March 3. The labor leader is part of the investigation, but hasn't been charged with anything, according to FBI officials.

Mr. Jacobsen stressed that "Mr. McLaughlin will be marching right up front with the rest of us, as he does every year." Also expected are a host of elected officials. Because the parade takes place the Saturday before the party primaries, it's considered a prime showcase for candidates seeking labor support. Mayor Bloomberg usually attends, marching in the front row, and will be invited again this year, organizers confirmed.

Making Mayor Aware

Mr. Bloomberg's presence was welcome, said Mr. Applebaum, even though his local endorsed U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner for Mayor last year. When that candidate left the race after losing the Democratic primary, the union backed the man who bested him, former-Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer.

"There are a lot of people who are hurting in this city - we are concerned about the 'Wal-Martization' of wages and benefits in New York and America," Mr. Applebaum said, citing the parade as a good opportunity to bring the Mayor closer to working-class constituents.

"The needs of working people in this city and state and country can't be ignored - we have to remind everyone that we are a nation where poverty still exists, and the most effective anti-poverty measure anywhere is a union contract," he added.

Last year's parade focused heavily on retail giant Wal-Mart, which was attempting to open one of its big-box stores in the city. Despite support from the Mayor, the company was unable to overcome opposition from City Council Members and union leaders. They said the company's policies of not providing health benefits, paying sub-standard hourly rates - sometimes below minimum wage - and denying workers' overtime pay made it a "bad neighbor" for other local shops.

"We're also going to stress the role of immigrant reform in this year's march," said Mr. Jacobsen. "As we say about immigrant workers - it's good if they have a green card, but it's more important that they have a union card."

This year's parade will take place Sept. 9, starting at 11 a.m.. It will run from 44th St. up Fifth Ave. to 72nd St.