The coalition of unions that broke away from the AFL-CIO has asked that federation to join it in creating a third union federation that would concentrate on political and legislative efforts. But AFL-CIO president John Sweeney dismissed the idea, mocking the "obvious irony of a proposal to essentially recreate the AFL-CIO as it existed prior to" the decision by the service employees and three other unions to break away last year.
See "After Quitting A.F.L.-C.I.O., Group Suggests Reunion of Sorts", Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, April 24, 2006