Clinton, Kirkland Hold Frank Discussion, White House Says

President Clinton and AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland sought to put aside their differences Friday in a face-to-face meeting that the White House characterized as frank and positive.

Clinton and Kirkland met in private for about 45 minutes, their first session since the bitter fight over the North American Free Trade Agreement that prompted Clinton to rebuke labor for “roughshod, muscle-bound” tactics against NAFTA and prompted Kirkland to claim that Clinton had “abdicated his role” as head of the Democratic Party by offering aid and comfort to Republicans who supported the agreement.

White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers said the two men spent much of their time together talking about future issues and labor’s agenda for the coming year. The issues include health care reform, where labor has been particularly supportive of the Administration, and legislation that would prevent companies from permanently replacing striking workers and worker safety laws.

Kirkland was mum about his discussions, following his longstanding practice of keeping conversations with Clinton private.

But AFL-CIO spokesman Rex Hardesty said: “We think Dee Dee Myers characterized it very well.”

The NAFTA confrontation left labor in a sour mood, not only toward Democrats who supported the agreement but also toward the President, who many labor leaders felt attacked them gratuitously.