Why have not worker centers and building trades unions formed alliances to advance their common interests? Why do many construction unionists perceive worker centers as threats? Why do worker centers regard building trades' locals with suspicion? What can be done to promote communication and collaboration between worker centers and labor unions in the construction industry? This article examines the characteristics of both building trades unions and worker centers, analyzes opportunities for collaboration and conflict between the two kinds of organizations, discusses the impact of immigration on construction unionism, and describes two brief examples of building trades union and worker center collaboration.

The labor movement in New York State (NYS) has undergone a dramatic restructuring that is part of a national American Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial Organizations program called the New Alliance. The purpose of the New Alliance is to build the capacity of local labor movements and to empower unions to help shape a region's political and economic agenda. The restructuring in NYS led to the consolidation of twenty‐five central labor councils into five area labor federations, each of which is developing the resources, staff, and leadership to help grow labor's regional power across the state. This article describes the origins of the New Alliance, the nature of the restructuring process, the ways in which the capacity of local labor movements are expanding, the programmatic work the restructured central bodies have undertaken in the last five years, and the impact of the national split on local and regional central bodies across NYS.

In recent years, the American Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial Organization (AFL–CIO) has attempted to spur and support the development of young worker organizations as a way of engaging more young people in the labor movement. One result has been the growth of young worker groups affiliated with local AFL–CIO bodies. This article summarizes the findings of our team of researchers who worked with the AFL–CIO to document and evaluate the most developed of these new young worker organizations. We explore the activities and character of these groups, the distinct contribution that they make to revive the American labor movement, and the challenges they face in continuing to grow and to spur similar groups across the country.

This is an expansive and wide-ranging "conversation" with Mark Ayers, President of the Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD-AFL-CIO), a coalition of thirteen unions representing over two million workers in the construction industry. Edited from about one hundred pages of transcripts of interviews with Ayers conducted by Jeff Grabelsky, this conversation covers a variety of issues including: the implications for the labor movement of Obama's 2008 election; the opportunities arising during the Obama administration's first two years as well as the threats of the right wing backlash; the need for deeper and more authentic labor-community partnerships; the challenge of increasing the diversity of the unionized Building Trades; and, the dangers of global warming.Before becoming BCTD president, Mark Ayers was a union electrician, a local union business manager, an international union representative, and the director of the IBEW's Construction and Maintenance Department. He shares his experiences, perspectives, and vision for revitalizing the unionized construction industry in a remarkably candid and bold way. His underlying message is that the Building Trades unions can not re-establish their power and influence in the construction industry unless and until their leaders break free of outdated strategies that will be increasingly ineffectual in a rapidly changing political, economic, and social landscape.