A Directly Affiliated Local Union (DALU) is a U.S. labor union that belongs to the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) but is not a national union and is not entitled to the same rights and privileges within the Federation as national affiliates. Most DALUs have fewer than 1000 members and represent workers in only one workplace. At one time DALUs were called "Federal Labor Unions," and some trade unionists still refer to them as such. The AFL-CIO has tried to phase out DALUs by encouraging them to merge with national affiliates. By the early 21st Century, it had been many years since the AFL-CIO permitted a union to affilate with the Federation as a DALU. The AFL-CIO's Department of Organization does not attempt to organize new DALUs, preferring instead to work with national affiliates.