About Us
Email: info@uniondemocracy.org | Address: 55 Washington Street, Suite 522, Brooklyn, New York, 11201, USA | Phone: (718) 564-1114
The Labor Movement can be a great force for democracy, progress, and justice.
To fulfill that potential, it must be thoroughly democratic in its internal life. There is no effective substitute for strong, democratic unions to help workers achieve dignity and respect, to defend and increase their standard of living, and to fight for better, safer, conditions in the workplace. There is no substitute for internal union democracy to combat discrimination, fight racketeering, get rid of corruption, and oust self-serving officials. In many unions democratic rights are real and unquestioned, but in large sections of the US labor movement these rights are trampled upon and must be restored.
What AUD Does:
Support Reformers and Dissidents
We provide organizing, educational, and legal assistance to those fighting for greater rank and file control of their unions. If you are in need of assistance in reforming your union or you believe your rights have been violated, please contact us.
Education
AUD provides resources to help union reformers understand the law, its limitations, and how workers can organize for union democracy.
Click here to check out our resources including our writings, flyers, and reports.
AUD also provides trainings and workshops for workers. You can check out our upcoming events here.
Union Democracy Review (UDR)
Union Democracy Review is AUD’s quarterly publication where we cover stories of workers seeking to reform their unions, union elections, and union democracy law. Some articles are available online and you can subscribe here.
If you want your union democracy story highlighted or want to write for UDR, email us at info@uniondemocracy.org
Books and Other Materials
Our store has a number of books, guides, and pamphlets that contain great legal and organizing advice on fighting to reform and build a more democratic labor movement. We highly recommend you check out Democratic Rights for Union Members, Rebels Reformers, and Racketeers, and How to Get an Honest Union Election
History:
Governance:
AUD is governed by our Board of Directors who meet quarterly to decide upon the affairs of the organization.
Board of Directors
Will Bloom
Paul Clark
Barry Eidlin
Arthur Fox
Michael Goldberg
Barbara Harvey
Cathy Highet
Alan Hyde
Paul Alan Levy
Louis Nikolaidis
Ken Paff
Kurt Richwerger
Judith Schneider
The Association for Union Democracy (AUD) is the only national, pro-labor, non-profit organization dedicated solely to advancing the principles and practices of democratic trade unionism in the North American labor movement. It is the premise of AUD that internal democracy makes unions stronger and better able to fight for the rights and interests of working people. We provide organizing, educational, and legal assistance to those fighting for greater membership control of their unions. As a non-partisan organization, AUD does not support or endorse candidates for union office or particular policies within unions. Rather, AUD supports actions which strengthen the democratic process, promoting membership participation, free speech and fair elections, so that union members can shape the direction and actions of their union.