(CNSNews.com) - The United Farm Workers of America joined the Change to Win Coalition on Friday, adding pressure on the leadership of the AFL-CIO to make reforms when that labor federation holds its 50th anniversary convention in Chicago next week.

"To realize our goal of organizing significant numbers of low- to moderate-wage Latino and immigrant workers in the face of fierce employer resistance during the next decade, we must move aggressively to apply new resources and make changes in our own organization," UFW President Arturo Rodriguez said Friday afternoon.

"We are convinced the Change to Win Coalition mirrors our commitment of finding new ways to refocus on organizing and vigorously pursue anti-worker employers," he added.

In response, coalition Chair Anna Burger said in a prepared statement that her organization "is thrilled to have the Farm Workers join our efforts to improve the lives of millions of American workers.

"The Farm Workers represent the highest aspirations of all American workers," Burger added. "Their historic commitment to organizing low- to moderate-wage workers is the essence of the Change to Win Coalition's vision of giving hope to millions of workers seeking the American Dream."

As Cybercast News Service previously reported, the Change to Win Coalition was formed on June 15 to create "a large-scale, coordinated campaign to rebuild the American labor movement."

By becoming the coalition's seventh member union, the UFW joins the Service Employees International Union, the Laborers' International Union of North America, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the United Food and Commercial Workers, UNITE-HERE, which represents hotel, restaurant and apparel workers, and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners.

While the UFW only adds about 31,000 people to the coalition's 6 million members, the union brings with it considerable credibility and emotional weight because of its well-known history, a fact that was not lost on Burger.

"This is a significant moment in American labor history," Burger said. "The union of Ceasar Chavez is the heart and soul of the labor movement, and its affiliation with our coalition sends a powerful signal that we are on the right course."

In addition, the timing of the announcement is a psychological blow for the AFL-CIO, which had sought to minimize any momentum the coalition could generate before the federation's convention, which begins Monday.

While AFL-CIO President John Sweeney is expected to be re-elected during next week's gathering, the timing of the UFW announcement - just days before the start of the federation's convention - can be seen as encouraging other unions unhappy with Sweeney's preference for political activism over organizing workers to join the coalition.

However, because most of the delegates to next week's event are loyal to Sweeney, any attempt to create major reform at the AFL-CIO is seen as unlikely, though it does increase the prospect of coalition unions officially "disaffiliating" from the federation, a move that could cause a serious split in organized labor.

See Earlier Stories:
New Coalition for Labor Reform Elects First Officers (July 07, 2005)
Former AFL-CIO Union Joins Coalition for Labor Reform (June 27, 2005)
Unions Create Coalition to 'Rebuild American Labor Movement' (June 15, 2005)
AFL-CIO's Largest Union Breaking Away (June 13, 2005)
AFL-CIO Urged to Halt Support of 'Proud Union Queers' (June 13, 2005)
AFL-CIO Losing Political Grip to Largest Member Union (June 9, 2005)
AFL-CIO Boss's Politicking Now Threatens His Job (May 6, 2005)

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