My American friend Larry Cohen
One of my closest friends is also one of the most distant. Larry Cohen is now President of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) but I have known him for around 20 years. He has just completed his first three-year term as President and been elected unopposed for a second three-year term. You can read his address to the recent CWA convention here.
When I was myself a trade union official, I used to see Larry regularly in various countries of the world but, since I took early retirement six years ago, it’s been more difficult to see one another. Today, however, i caught Larry for a couple of hours at London’s Heathrow Airport as he flew from Switzerland back to the USA.
Larry is a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention and, once his original favourite John Edwards withdrew from the primaries, he was an early public supporter for Barack Obama with whom he is in regular contact. It was an opportunity for me to see a great friend and to receive some insights into what’s going on politically in the United States.
For America’s labour unions, one of the biggest election issues is the Employee Free Choice Act. I know – you’ve never heard of it. You can learn about this proposed legislation here.