Association for Union Democracy

The Association for Union Democracy is a non-profit organization based in Brooklyn, New York, which advocates for union democracy. Founded in 1969 by union reformer Herman Benson and Yale law professor Clyde Summers,[1] the AUD has been called "labor's leading voice on democracy issues" by Labor Studies Journal.[2]

The AUD defines itself as a "national, pro-labor, non-profit organization dedicated solely to advancing the principles and practices of democratic trade unionism in the North American labor movement."[3]

History

The association has aided a wide range of workers, assisted organization such as the Teamsters for a Democratic Union and Miners for Democracy,[3] and has been credited with catalyzing landmark court decisions.[4]

In 1983, seven union insurgents who were killed while fighting for reform their unions were honored at an AUD conference with 350 attendees.[5] The posthumous honorees who had worked closely with AUD included Dow Wilson and Lloyd Green of the California Painters Union, as well as Jock Yablonski, who lead insurgents from the United Mine Workers Union.[5]

The organization was led by Benson until he stepped down as executive director in 1996, after which he continued to edit the AUD newsletter.[4]

Notable people
  • Herman Benson, co-founder and editor
  • Clyde Summers, co-founder and legal scholar
  • Edward Sadlowski, labor activist
  • Jane LaTour, labor activist, journalist, and manager of Women's Project

References
  1. Hyde, Alan (June 2022). "Legal Support for Union Democracy". Labor Studies Journal. 47 (2) – via EBSCOHost.
  2. Ashby, Steven K. (June 2022). "Union Democracy in Today's Labor Movement". Labor Studies Journal. 47 (2): 109–136. doi:10.1177/0160449X211044903 – via EBSCOHost.
  3. Biers, Carl (July 24, 2020). "Herman Benson's Lifelong Fight For Democratic Unions". Labor Notes. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  4. Gonzalez, David (August 31, 1996). "A Life Devoted To Promoting Labor Reform". The New York Times. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  5. McNamara, James (June 28, 2008). "[Review] Rebels, Reformers, and Racketeers: How Insurgents Transformed the Labor Movement". WorkingUSA. 8 (4): 519–523. doi:10.1111/j.1743-4580.2005.00034_5.x – via Wiley.

Further reading
  • Goldberg, Michael J. "In the cause of union democracy." Suffolk UL Rev. 41 (2007): 759.
  • Benson, Herman W. Rebels, reformers, and racketeers: How insurgents transformed the labor movement. Authorhouse, 2005.
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