To the Point

The Labor Movement in Strife

In July, the AFL-CIO gathered to celebrate its 50th birthday, only to see its two biggest unions go their own way. The organization was once 56 unions continues, minus 25 percent of its members and a big chunk of its budget. The Teamsters and Service Employees International Other unions may follow. Is this week's split about principle or personality and money? Can the dissenting unions re-start the organized labor movement or has it become irrelevant to the globalized economy? In this archived edition of To the Point, we hear from journalists who write on labor issues and veterans of the AFL-CIO and SEIU. (This segment was originally broadcast on July 26.) Making News: The Supreme Court, John Roberts and Women's Rights Appellate Judge John Roberts goes back before the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow as the President's choice to replace Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female justice of the US Supreme Court. The only woman member of the Committee is California Democrat Dianne Feinstein, who's under pressure to get tough on the question of women's rights. Michael Doyle, who covers politics from Washington for the Sacramento Bee, has more. Reporter's Notebook: Iraqi Marshlands on the Road to Recovery After the first Gulf War ended in 1991, Saddam Hussein began a campaign to drain Iraq's southern marshes, home to the Marsh Arabs and their ancient culture. Some 9,000-square kilometers of marshes were reduced to just 760. Since the US invasion of 2003, the United Nations has been working to restore that massive resource. Klaus Toepfer, who heads the UN's Environmental Program, has a progress report.