AFL-CIO expected a return on P.G. County campaign cash

Some labor groups deny any explicit expectations in return for their campaign donations but the Metropolitan Washington Council of the AFL-CIO makes no bones about what they want in return for their donations to officials in Prince George's County.

Their to-do list was categorized line-by-line in a letter from President Joslyn N. Williams to elected officials dated last June.

"Until the elected officials of the County sign on to this Progressive Labor Partnership Contract, the affiliates of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO will continue to refuse requests for any and all support from those elected officials who refuse to support us," she wrote.

Among her demands made in the aforementioned "Progressive Labor Partnership Contract" were guarantees officials would protect union employees "from bearing the burden of balancing the budget on their backs," funding for a State Labor Relations Board and support for legislation to protect Metro bus workers form assault.

The letter was prompted by an apparent dust-up between Democratic leaders and the AFL-CIO that "disappointed and angered members of the labor community."

Immediate calls to Ms. Williams about the nature of the conflict were not returned.

What was apparent from the letter is how closely Washignton's AFL-CiO worked with local Democrats. In the first line of the letter Williams noted now "organized labor and the Democratic Party have by tradition supported each other over the past 12 years."

-- Amanda Carpenter