Wal-Mart and Labor

An article in today’s Daily News is predicting that the split in big labor could prove to be a boon to the local Wal-Mart organizing effort. The scuttlebutt is that the money previously funneled to the AFL-CIO will now be channeled into organizing campaigns at Wal-Mart and Federal Express.

Another good sign in the wake of the AFL-CIO defections is that local labor leaders are going to try to continue cooperating. As State Fed leader Dennis Hughes says:

"This is a national disagreement. On the local level, we have great relationships with these people," he said. "We're determined to get through this."

Even the Daily News editorial page, not known for its friendly labor positions, sees a potential positive result in the labor split if the new entity goes after Wal-Mart. The money quote:

Stamping a union label on Wal-Mart, for example, would be a shining badge of success.