Date:          Sun, 16 Jun 1996 15:25:14 +0000
Subject:       Who was at the Labor Party convention?


WHO WAS AT THE LABOR PARTY CONVENTION?

(This is tentative, extrapolated from a partial report of the
Credentials Committee and some later information.)

There were 1,367 delegates, with 2,979 total votes between them,
representing 364 bodies. In addition, there were 120 at-large
members (who elected two of the delegates in caucus) and numerous
observers present. In looking at total votes, remember that many
of these were cast in fractional form rather than as a block.
Delegates came from 44 states and the District of Columbia.

ENDORSING INTERNATIONALS: Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers
International Union (OCAW); United Electrical, Radio and Machine
Workers of America (UE); Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way
Employees (BMWE); International Longshoremen's & Warehousemen's
Union (ILWU); California Nurses Association (CNA); American
Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); United Mine Workers of
America (UMWA); International Brotherhood of Dupont Workers;
Textile Processors, Service Trades, Health Care, Professional &
Technical Employees Int'l Union; Farm Labor Organizing Committee
(FLOC). Each endorsing international had 100 votes, except FLOC
(which is very small) may have been treated as a local.

LOCALS OF ENDORSING INTERNATIONALS: Both OCAW and UE called
conferences for other union business to coincide with the Labor
Party convention, which maximized their participation and brought
in some people who probably had very little interest in the Labor
Party per se. OCAW had either 70 (credentials report) or 80
(Racine Labor article) locals represented, with at least 232
votes between them. UE had 46 locals with 174 votes. This meant
that these two internationals between them had at least 606
votes. (Over 20% of the voting strength.)

In addition, 24 locals of the BMWE (129 votes) and 17 locals of
the ILWU (140 votes) were represented. The BMWE delegation
consisted entirely of union officials, not elected by their local
lodges.

ENDORSING LOCALS & INTERMEDIATE BODIES: 118 locals, lodges,
chapters, district councils, central labor councils, etc., were
represented, with 908 votes. They came from the American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); the
Service Employees International Union (SEIU); the American Postal
Workers Union and the National Association of Letter Carriers;
Bakery Workers; Hotel and Restaurant Employees; Teachers;
Communications Workers (CWA and TCU); Carpenters; Signpainters;
Painters; Office Workers; Steel Workers; Utility Workers;
printing trades and university professors. The largest blocks of
locals were from AFSCME (17 locals) and the Carpenters (hard to
tell because of overlap between local and district council
representation).

CHAPTERS: 36 chapters were represented, with 152 votes between
them. They were from California (4), New York (7), Arizona,
Michigan (2), Massachusetts (2), Illinois (2), New Jersey (2),
Ohio (2), Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Connecticut, DC, Iowa,
Missouri (2), North Carolina, New Mexico, Pennsylvania (2), Rhode
Island, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah, and Vermont.

PRINCIPAL OFFICERS OF NON-ENDORSING LOCALS were given one vote
each. There were 26 of them.

DESIGNATED WORKER ORGANIZATIONS: In addition, there were 6 votes
cast by "Designated Worker Organizations", including Black
Workers for Justice, Labor Council for Latin American
Advancement, etc.


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