Copyright 2001 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.  
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
May 24, 2001 Thursday Five Star Lift Edition
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A2

LENGTH: 468 words

HEADLINE: LABOR LEADERS LAUNCH POLITICAL ORGANIZATION FOR RETIRED WORKERS

BYLINE: Philip Dine Post-Dispatch Washington Bureau

DATELINE: WASHINGTON

BODY:
Organized labor set up on Wednesday what it called the nation's largest political organization for retired workers, the Alliance for Retired Americans.

The move is aimed at improving the prospects for labor and its political allies, mostly Democrats, in elections next year and in the future. The group will also try to influence legislation.

It starts with 2.6 million members, because 14 unions have agreed to pay dues for their retired members. They include some of the nation's largest unions: the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, American Federation of Teachers, Service Employees International Union, United Auto Workers, International Association of Machinists, Communications Workers of America and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Edward Coyle, the group's executive director, said organizers hoped to "harness the energy and commitment of millions of retired union members."

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said that the group's "size and scope makes it an instant political force to be reckoned with."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the significance of the group remains to be seen.

We're sort of just watching it, looking at it. Groups are formed all the time, said chamber spokeswoman Linda Rozett.

The organization expects to have 3 million members by year's end, including nonunion retirees who would pay about $10 in dues to belong, Coyle said. The retirements of baby boomers in the next few years are likely to increase the membership to 5 million over the next five years, he said.

Missouri and Illinois, with about 1.6 million union members between them, have more than 300,000 members of the new group, organizers said. The Alliance for Retired Americans starts with an annual budget of $4 million, Coyle said.

The AFL-CIO decided one year ago to establish the organization. Its president is George Kourpias, retired president of the International Association of Machinists.

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., called the formation of the group a good move for Democrats and said it reflected labor's effectiveness in reaching out to constituents who in turn can influence Congress.

"It's very smart," Emerson said. "I think a lot of folks realize you need to do grass-roots work. ... Quite frankly, you need to get back to the basics - and those are the basics."

The group held its first event Wednesday, a rally for a Medicare prescription drug plan. Speakers included Democratic Sens. Tom Harkin of Iowa and John Kerry of Massachusetts, along with Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Mo. They exhorted the couple of hundred retired workers at the rally to join the fight for a tax cut and other policies that they said would help the middle class, telling the workers that the new group could be an important part of that battle.

LOAD-DATE: May 24, 2001