George Tedeschi

"If the Republicans get control of the Senate, then God help us," GCIU Pres. George Tedeschi warned delegates at the North American Newspaper Conference (NANC).

Republicans control the House of Representatives and the White House. Democrats currently rule the Senate with a slim one-vote majority and the Republican Party is determined to change that, Tedeschi said. "They had a fund-raising dinner that pulled in $30 million in one night," he noted.

Tedeschi said that President Bush is personally involved in finding a candidate to defeat Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), whom he called the "biggest single advocate for unions" for his proposed legislation to force employers to negotiate in good faith.

"Political action touches everything that we do," Tedeschi said. "You've got to get involved to get people elected who will change the direction that conservative Republicans want this country to take, which is the same agenda of their anti-worker, big-money corporate sponsors."

Tedeschi said that the GCIU and AFL-CIO affiliates don't support every Democrat – "only candidates who work for working families. To help people has to be the primary issue for us – not single issues. We've got to come up with dollars to help those candidates."

Tedeschi said the AFL-CIO recently devoted another four cents per member per month to political education. He suggested that GCIU locals can raise money through checkoff – "although that's the hardest thing to get" – or though such programs as 50/50 drawings and raffles.

Tedeschi said the drive to organize is fueled by corporate plant closures that are hurting union and non-union workers alike. "More and more companies are getting bought up by giants, and the giants are consolidating and closing plants," he said.

The corporate agenda doesn't include workers or, apparently, national security interests, he said. He cited the example of new strike aircraft for the United States with parts to be made in China. Coupled with the demise of the U.S. steel industry, "I don't know how they plan to cope in the event of war," he said.

Outlining the GCIU's new organizing program options – 50/50 subsidies, organizing interns, and training programs – Tedeschi said that "what's going to make it work are local unions. We have staff who will assist you. Use us. We're doing our part to grow. It's a tough fight, but it can be done. We're all fighters – that's why we're here."

"I'm very happy to say we've had a number of recent successes in organizing," Tedeschi said. "This year proves we are doing things right. We are bearing fruit under the guidance of GCIU Vice Pres. Duncan Brown and Organizing Coordinator Bert Haft. So far this year, we organized over 500 people."

On bargaining, Tedeschi said: "We all know employers are getting tougher. We're all feeling the economic crunch."

To cope with this economic reality and corporate anti-union ideology, Tedeschi said, the GCIU launched initiatives on a number of fronts. The Newspaper Industry Coordinating Committee (NICC) was resurrected and meetings with the Communications Workers and Teamsters "have already had a positive impact on some of our locals," he said.

"Just letting employers know that we are meeting is having an impact. Employers want us splintered and divided. The key is working together with other unions and other GCIU locals," Tedeschi said. "We are getting excellent cooperation from other International unions whenever we ask. We are in the process of developing councils to do chain bargaining for newspapers and expanding it to paper and commercial plants."

This coalition building is expanding internationally as well, Tedeschi said. He said a recent international union meeting on International Paper, hosted by the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers (PACE) brought in leaders from 21 unions in 11 nations on five continents to Nashville.

On building the union internally, Tedeschi urged delegates to send representatives from their locals to the first Women's and Minority Symposium in Chicago in September. "It's an opportunity for everyone to get together and address common issues and problems," he said, adding: "There is diversity in our union, and it's a very positive step."