UAW to decide on move to rejoin AFL-CIO

United Automobile Workers union executives are seeking authority to reaffiliate with the AFL-CIO, healing their 13-year rift at a time of increasing difficulty for the US labor movement. "We owe it to the central labor body to belong to that organization," Douglas A. Fraser, president of the 1.2 million-member UAW, said.

The UAW's International Executive Board voted unanimously to seek authority from rank-and-file union delegates to reaffiliate -- a move that would add considerable political muscle to the already potent, 14.6 mil lion- member AFL-CIO.