Blackwell Reference Online

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(AFL-CIO) The traditional hostility between these groups subsided after George M eaney took over the AFL and Walter R euther took over the CIO. Both unions perceived a need to combat an anti-labor political atmosphere symbolized by the T aft —H artley A ct . On 5 December 1955, the AFL's 109 unions (10,900,000 members) merged with the CIO's 32 unions (5,200,000 members). Meaney became president and Reuther vice-president. The AFL-CIO included 90 percent of US unionized workers and 33.6 percent of nonagricultural laborers. It expelled the Teamsters, Laundry and Dry-cleaning Workers, and Bakery Workers in December 1957 for violating anti-racketeering standards. Reuther's disagreements with Meaney over strategy resulted in his leading the 1,339,000 United Auto Workers out of the AFL-CIO in 1968. After replacing Meaney as president in 1979, Lane K irkland engineered a reconciliation with the Auto Workers in July 1981, and readmitted the 1,100,000 Teamsters in October 1987. AFL-CIO membership declined from 16,100,000 in 1955 to 13,933,000 in 1991, about 15 percent of nonagricultural workers. ... log in or subscribe to read full text