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Union leaders seek to mend divisions over pipeline
Posted: Mar 10, 2012 8:34 AM by Matt Stafford
WASHINGTON (AP) - Unions may be united in working to re-elect President Barack Obama, but their leaders also are trying to repair bitter divisions over his rejection of an oil pipeline from Canada to Texas.
Trade unions representing workers who stand to benefit from new construction jobs from the Keystone XL pipeline are furious at other unions that joined environmentalists in opposing the project.
AFL-CIO leaders hope to smooth tensions at their executive council's annual winter meeting that starts Monday in Florida.
The issue reflects a decades-old conflict between union leaders who believe creating jobs is paramount and others who are more strongly aligned with progressive groups on environmental and social causes.
Union officials say they're bound to have occasional disagreements, but that for the most part, they're on the same page.
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