The Wall Street Journal reported this weekend that organized labor lost 10% of its members in the private sector last year, the largest decline in more than 25 years. The drop is on par with the fall in total employment but threatens to significantly constrain unions’ ability to influence elections and legislation.

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It has been reported by Labor Notes that East Coast Laborers have joined with worker centers to create two new locals of mostly immigrant members, promising a union presence in residential construction. The new locals will accept lower wage rates and erase craft boundaries.

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The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) has announced that its survey of U.S. companies that build highways, buildings and sewers found nine in 10 predicting their business will not rebound in 2010 from depressed levels.

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By: Carrie Budoff Brown

January 14, 2010 08:17 PM EST

© 2009 Capitol News Company, LLC

Politico.com is reporting that the White House on Thursday cut a deal with its closest labor allies to blunt the impact of a new tax on high-cost insurance policies — and blunt their protests against the health reform plan.

Democrats couldn’t eliminate the tax on union members’ high-cost insurance policies altogether but did put off the effective date until 2018, but only for labor agreements and state and local government workers.

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The Chicago Union News is reporting that the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters  recently issued layoff notices to  58 organizers -– the majority of its full-time organizing staff.

The positions were eliminated as a cost-saving move for the union at a time when there’s not much work to organize, according to Frank Libby, president of the council.

The layoffs could save the union well over $1 million, based on 2008 salary figures filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. However, Libby  said he could not immediately provide financial details.

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