Just What is SCFL and What Does it Do?

By Jim Cavanaugh, SCFL President

Since early December the national AFL-CIO, in what’s called the “New Alliance” process, has been working with Wisconsin labor leaders to study the Wisconsin labor movement and to make recommendations for structural changes that will improve its effectiveness.

In other states that have undergone this process, the most frequent change has been to clump central labor councils into newly-created Area Labor Federations for staffing purposes. These Area Labor Federations really operate much like the larger labor councils – like the South Central Federation of Labor and the Milwaukee County Labor Council.

As I have participated in this process, it has become clear to me that many union leaders do not have a very thorough grasp of what labor councils do, or have the potential to do. Hence, I thought I’d use this space this month to summarize what the South Central Federation of Labor (SCFL) is and some of what it does.

The Union of Unions

Here’s the shorthand definition that I generally use: The South Central Federation of Labor is an umbrella organization for all the labor unions in Dane, Sauk, Iowa, and Columbia Counties. Its purpose is to try to get all those disparate unions to speak and act, to the extent possible, in a unified manner on political and legislative issues of public import, and to pool the human resources of the labor movement in order to assist fellow unionists in their struggles, as well as to assist the larger community through public service projects.

There are about 70 labor organizations affiliated with SCFL, representing about 35,000 union members. A few of these unions have less than ten members in our geographic jurisdiction and a few have over 2,000. Our affiliated unions represent everything from housekeepers at the Concourse Hotel to professors at the University. Those 35,000 union members work in all aspects of construction, health care, manufacturing, government, and just about every other kind of work. These unions are represented by delegates of their own choosing who attend SCFL’s monthly meetings where the organization’s governance work is transacted.

Political & Legislative

Attempting to get all those different unions to pull together in politics is by no means easy. However, our rules, which require a super majority vote of two-thirds of the delegates voting, insure that SCFL is more likely to sit out a particular political contest than to endorse a candidate who is opposed by a significant number of unions. Generally speaking, reaching agreement on legislative issues – be it opposition to legislative attacks on prevailing wages or public sector jobs or proactively pushing for living wage or health care legislation – is much easier since most union activists bring a common set of pro-worker principles to the table.

Solidarity

SCFL’s “Solidarity” work, on the other hand, is totally lacking in controversy and is, frankly, the most fulfilling work that SCFL engages in. Whether it is picket line and financial support for striking Goodyear or Tyson workers, demonstrations on behalf of workers trying to organize Superior Linen or Clean Power, or rallies on behalf of pro-worker legislation, area union activists have demonstrated time and again that, upon SCFL’s call, they are eager to come out and help their fellow union members.

Education and Community

Here’s a few of SCFL’s many other more or less regular activities. Through our Community Services Committee and our Labor Liaison at United Way of Dane County, we hold monthly raffles at SCFL meetings to raise money for a local food pantry, paint a house each year as part of the Dane County Paint-a-thon, promote United Way’s annual fundraising campaign, as well as numerous other projects. Our Education Committee plans multi-week stewards’ training and various other “labor education” functions. The Labor Day Committee puts on LaborFest on the Labor Temple grounds the first Monday in September each year. For nearly fifty years our “Bean Feed” in late May has provided an opportunity for elected officials to mingle informally with union members and for SCFL to raise a little money for political education. We also provide $1000 college scholarships each year for four union members or children of union members.

SCFL also serves as the primary point of union contact for the general public. If the media needs information on labor’s position on a given issue or how to reach the appropriate person in a particular union, frequently they will first call SCFL. By law or long time practice, SCFL appoints union representatives to the Board of the Madison Community Foundation, the United Way of Dane County Board, the Workforce Development Board of SC Wisconsin, and Madison’s Board of Public Works, Personnel Commission, Ethics Board, and Police and Fire Commission, as well as several others, some permanent and some ad hoc.

For additional information on the South Central Federation of Labor and its work, check out our website: www.scfl.org. Or, purchase a copy of the DVD “Madison Labor: Building a City, Building a Movement.” (The $25 cost of the DVD is considered a tax-deductible contribution to the Labor Temple’s Mural Project.)