Both From Private Sector
Labor Council Taps La Barbera, Ahern

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

A packed house at last week's New York City AFL-CIO Central Labor Council delegate assembly unanimously elected a new leadership and changed its constitution in a move that labor leaders hope will help put the previously embattled umbrella group for the city's labor movement back on track.

GARY LA BARBERA: Building consensus.

The emphasis on process and inclusion was accompanied by an unchallenged slate, with no questions raised about the changes in the constitution.

La Barbera 'Humbled'

"I am overwhelmed by the support of the executive board and the delegates and frankly humbled," said newly elected CLC President Gary La Barbera.

Jack Ahern, leader of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 30, was elected executive vice-president and will succeed Mr. La Barbera, president of Teamsters Local 282, after their three-year terms expire. The new constitution puts more power and oversight in the hands of the executive board in the wake of former CLC President Brian M. McLaughlin's indictment on charges including massive embezzlement from the organization.

JACK AHERN: Running CLC's finances.

"This is not about one person," said Mr. La Barbera. "One of the most important issues is the process where the board and the delegates make decisions, and I will be the voice of the Council and the decisions they make."

The meeting, chaired by State AFL-CIO President Denis M. Hughes, lasted less than an hour and drew about three times more delegates than regular sessions.

Leaders in attendance included Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Roger Toussaint, District Council 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts and Professional Staff Congress President Barbara Bowen. United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten was not at the meeting but released a statement expressing confidence in the new leadership.

Call for Diversity

Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union President Stuart Appelbaum was interrupted repeatedly with applause as he nominated Mr. La Barbera. Ms. Bowen praised Mr. Ahern in her nominating speech, while also stressing the need for diversity in the future leadership of the Council. Both new officers are white men. The executive board, which met prior to the delegates, passed a resolution committing itself to diversifying the leadership to better reflect the 1.3 million members of its 400 affiliate unions.

Since there were no objections or challenges, the election process began with a delegate casting a single vote. After both men were nominated, Ms. Roberts went to the microphone to announce she was casting her vote in favor. The rest of the room concurred with a voice vote and no dissenters.

Mr. La Barbera is a 25-year Teamster and was appointed trustee of Local 282 in 1996 by then-General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Ron Carey. He was charged with cleaning up the reputedly mob-influenced local and was elected its president in 2000. In 2001 he was also elected secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Joint Council 16, a 120,000-member organization that represents 34 Teamster locals. In 2005, Mr. La Barbera was elected without opposition to be its president.

The Teamster leader will continue in his other roles while he is the Council's president, a part-time unpaid position.

Ahern's Rise

Mr. Ahern joined Local 30 as an apprentice in 1974, soon became a shop steward and then a business agent in 1979. He was appointed assistant business manager in 1995 and then elected President in 1996. In 1999, Mr. Ahern was elected to the highest position in Local 30, business manager and financial secretary, the title he presently holds. In 2004, he was elected as a trustee of the International Union of Operating Engineers.

The new constitution gives the board the right to fire and hire staff and create new committees. It can also choose to vote more members onto the board, raising it from 31 to 35 members. The new design makes the president the chairman of the board and the executive vice president its chief financial officer. Ed Ott will continue to be executive director and will oversee the day-to-day functioning of the Council.

Although more power devolves to the executive board, it will actually meet less frequently, shifting from monthly to quarterly. An up-to-10-person executive committee created by the board will meet eight times per year, in the months between executive board meetings.

New Power for Delegates?

One issue not clarified by the new constitution is what if any new powers will be granted to the delegate body. Some labor leaders, including Mr. Hughes, have argued that there is no fundamental difference between the two bodies, since many delegates have their local or international leadership on the board. Some delegates have disagreed with this view and hope to see more decision-making power go to the delegates. The new structure, like the old, grants delegates only the right to vote for officers and make constitutional changes.

Mr. La Barbera said he did not want to speak for the executive board on the matter of what kinds of decisions would be made by the delegate body, but said that the process would be more inclusive than it had in the past.

He said the board will now go through a strategic planning process and will likely make supporting the efforts of affiliates to organize new members a priority.

The new president declined to comment on how issues of mob influence and corruption within affiliates will be dealt with at the Council, saying he needed more information before speaking on the topic.

Mr. Ott said the CLC will likely develop standard operating procedures when accusations of corruption or "inappropriate activities" arise. "We want to develop some protocols, which will remove the subjectivity," he said.

Mr. La Barbera said he was looking forward to getting to work. "The process is about building consensus," he said. "The board is creating the agenda, and we are carrying it out from there."