Columnist Neil Peirce writes that labor unions have

Columnist Neil Peirce writes that labor unions have begun lending support to the national smart growth agenda. At its recent convention in Las Vegas, the AFL-CIO approved a resolution stating that “ the AFL-CIO authorize and direct its leadership to actively engage in the emerging public and political debates surrounding urban sprawl and smart growth, asserting labor’s rightful role in the national debate about the future of America’s cities for the benefit of all working families.” The resolution notes that big box retailers undermine unionized neighborhood retailers, that sprawling development creates jobs out of reach of public transit, and that unions have suffered as a result of disinvestment, corporate flight, and tax-base erosion. According to Pierce, even construction unions have been “won over by the argument that solidarity with low-income urban populations is central to labor’s mission.”