Labor: Exeunt Kookies

As the barons of organized labor met for their biennial convention—and the tenth anniversary of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. merger—Labor Secretary Willard Wirtz aptly summarized the challenge confronting the unions in the affluent society. Said he: "Never before has the country faced so clearly the choice that it now faces between moving ahead or settling for what we now have, for leaning back, if you will, and patting our stomachs." For all the well-upholstered abdomens in San Francisco's Civic Auditorium, there were signs of change by convention's end last week.

Crusty As Ever. In its first major leadership overhaul, President George Meany...