By Democracy Now!

A handful of top national labor union leaders have threatened to split away from the powerful AFL-CIO and set up a new labor alliance unless the parent body adopts new policies to stem decades of decline in union membership.

We host a debate with spokespeople from the Communications Workers of America and Unite Here. [includes rush transcript]

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A major review of the organization and direction of the labor movement is currently underway following President Bush"s reelection. A meeting of major union leaders last month was called by AFL-CIO president John Sweeney to debate the future of the movement.

While all sides agreed something must be done to stem decades of decline in union membership, there are sharp disagreements over what strategy should be taken.

In an unprecedented move, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Unite Here and others have banded together into a group called the New Unity Partnership. They claim that organized labor's current crisis is so profound that the union movement can be saved only by a total overhaul of the AFL-CIO and have threatened to split from the federation unless new policies are adopted.

Andrew Stern, the president of SEIU, has promoted a 10-point plan for change with a brochure, a sophisticated Web site and a blog. Key to the plan is a proposal to consolidate the AFL-CIO's 60 unions into fewer than 20 and for using the $25 million in yearly profits from its credit card program to mount a nationwide campaign to unionize Wal-Mart to improve workers" wages and benefits.

Today we host a debate on the future of organized labor.

Chris Chafe, Chief of Staff and Political Director at Unite Here.
Bob Master, Political Director of Communications Workers of America in District 1 and co-chair of the Working Families Party.
Bill Fletcher, President of TransAfrica. He formally served as Education Director and Assistant to the President of the AFL-CIO.