News In Brief

AFL-CIO: it's a Kirkland Donahue - and Mondale

The AFL-CIO will face the next two years with the continuing leadership of Lane Kirkland and Thomas Donahue as president and secretary treasurer. Both were reelected unanimously Wednesday at the federation's biennial convention here. The 800 delegates then voted to endorse Democrat Walter Mondale for the presidency.

Mr. Kirkland spoke of ''heavy seas ahead'' for labor, but predicted that ''the seas will be weathered.''

Delegates representing the 95 unions in the AFL-CIO, claiming 13.8 million members, were politely enthusiastic in the election of their own leaders but they turned the Mondale endorsement proceedings into a mini-political convention , complete with signs, music, buttons, and badges. In part it was a planned demonstration to counter criticism that the early endorsement was undemocratic because it was made by union leaders, not the rank-and-file members of unions.