Public Employee Unions – The Political Imperative

This chapter examines the political nature of municipal public employee unions by looking at the activities during the 1960’s of three unions representing workers of the City of New York. They are: The Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association (USA); Transport Workers Union, Local 100; and the Social Service Employees Union (SSEU). Let us consider the attitude of these unions toward the importance of political power. The USA’s commitment to political activity goes back to their president John DeLury’s early experience. The USA saw political activity not as an alternative to “bread and butter” issues but as vital to the achievement of collective bargaining objectives. In 1969, the SSEU changed strategy. After several years of failure to mobilize other groups, the union leaders made a move they felt would establish the groundwork for an ongoing political organization. Political activity by public employee unions was only a means to achieve their collective bargaining goals. The USA was rather successful in wielding political power.