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Cross-Border Solidarity
for a Better World
UE Links up with unions world-wide
When corporate decisions made half a world away can impact jobs and investments with the speed of keystroke, what choice do working people have but to make alliances across national boundaries? When U.S. politicians are beholden to transnational corporations, what choice do U.S. working people have but to make common cause with workers elsewhere in the world?
Starting from a longstanding commitment to international solidarity, UE believes that more than ever, unions must act and think globally. A real commitment to international labor solidarity means more than just resolutions and meetings. It requires rank-and-file action. For more, see Why International Solidarity?
UE has built relationships with labor organizations in a variety of countries.
Groups Spanning the World
ICEM: International Federation of Chemical, Energy and Mine and General Workers' Unions
In 1998, the UE General Executive Board decided to join an international secretariat in order to strengthen our ties to other unions on the international level. In our judgment, the International Federation of Chemical, Energy and Mine and General Workers' Unions is the most progressive of the Secretariats and represents a clear break with the divisive cold war policies historically pursued by the secretariats in the past.
For more information about the ICEM and their activities, check out their web site at:http://www.icem.org.
World Social Forum
A network linking peoples' movements around the world who want to demonstrate that the path to sustainable development and social and economic justice lies in alternative models for people, rather than in neo-liberal globalization.
The World Social Forum (WSF) was created to provide an open platform
to discuss strategies of resistance to the model of globalization formulated
at the annual World Economic Forum at Davos by large multinational corporations,
national governments, the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO, which are the
foot soldiers of these corporations.
Web sites for
2003 and earlier meetings and for 2004
meeting.
The Americas
Mexico
Frente Auténtico del Trabajo (FAT)
The Authentic Workers' Front or Frente Auténtico del Trabajo (FAT)
is an independent federation of labor unions, worker owned cooperatives,
farm worker and community organizations. The FAT was founded in 1960 and
now represents workers in over half the states of Mexico in manufacturing
industries including textiles, garment, shoemaking, rubber, and auto parts,
as well as in agriculture and construction.
UE Alliance with the Frente Autentico del Trabajo
FAT web site (in Spanish)
Mexican Labor News & Analysis: special reports to UE direct from Mexico
Brazil
Central Unica dos Trabalhadores (CUT)
The CUT is Brazil's largest labor confederation, and the 5th largest
in the world! In June, 2003 it celebrated its 20th anniversary, joining
public and private sector workers throughout Brazil in a progressive and
militant organization committed to fighting aggressively for worker's
rights.
CUT web site (in Portuguese)
CNM-CUT Internacional
Brazil's National Federation of Metalworkers is CNM CUT - Confederação
Nacional dos Metalúrgicos
CNM-CUT web site (in
Portuguese)
Canada
Canadian Steel Workers
The Canadian Steelworkers represent workers in the steel and mining industries,
and also in hospitals, warehouses, banks, bakeries etc. The union has
approximately 190,000 members.
Canadian Steel
Workers web site
Canadian Auto Workers
Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), with approximately 260,000 members, is the
largest private sector union in Canada. It represents workers in many
industries including the automobile industry, aerospace, shipbuilding,
electrical and electronics, air transportation and many other areas. The
union is involved in many workplace, economic and social justice issues.
Canadian Auto
Workers web site
Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada
CEP – Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada
(CEP) is one of Canada’s larger unions, representing a wide variety
of workers across the country. This union formed as the result of a merger
of three smaller unions in 1992, and has a membership today of approximately
150,000.
Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union
of Canada web site
Centrale des Syndicats du Québec (CSQ)
Centrale des Syndicats du Quebec (CSQ) represents approximately 145,000
workers, in 13 federations which unite nearly 250 unions on the basis
of their member’s fields of activity. Over two thirds of CSQ’s
members work in education.
CSQ web site (in French)
CSQ web site
in English
Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO)
CISO's mission is to develop international solidarity by building links
between workers in Canada (Quebec) and in the rest of the Americas, in
struggles to win respect for their rights, for better working conditions,
and for building a society that is more just and democratic.
CISO web site (in French)
CISO web site in English
Syndicat de al Function Publique de Québec (SFPQ)
This is a Quebec union that represents public workers.
Their mission is to not only represent the interests of members in relation
to employers and defend their social, economic and political interests.
They also act as a social pressure group that's independent of any political
organization and pursues social development based on democratic values,
sharing of resources, solidarity and social progress.
SFPQ web site (in French)
Asia
Korea
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU)
This federation was born in 1995 to coordinate the efforts of the unions
and industrial federations that helped topple the dictatorship and bring
a democratic system to Korea. Many member unions have become known for
their militancy and courage. In 1996, the year after it was organized,
the KCTU led a month-long nation-wide general strike, triggered by attempts
by the government to railroad through new labor laws and corporate-style
globalization.
KCTU web site (in Korean)
KCTU Web site in English
Japan
Zenroren
Zenroren, Japan's National Confederation of Trade Unions, represents one and a half million workers. It is composed of both national and industrial unions and local federations. Zenroren was founded on November 21, 1989, by Japanese workers seeking a progressive alternative to the existing trade union federations.
Zenroren's founders questioned why Japanese workers were forced to work long hours and overtime, experiencing karoshi (death from over work). They rejected so-called labor-management cooperation, the very Japanese model of labor relations popular with bosses in the United States. They insisted that the workers be given a greater share of Japan's economic success through higher living standards, better education, better housing, retirement, and environmental protection. Zenroren's founders objected to economic restructuring and the mass layoff-s taking place in Japan.
Zenroren was organized on the basis of three fundamental principles:
independence from capital, independence from political parties, unity
in action based on a agreed demands. Like UE, Zenroren rigorously observes
trade union democracy. The UE News has reported on many examples of solidarity
between the UE and Zenroren.
Zenroren
web site (in Japanese)
Zenroren
web site in English.
France
The Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT)
This General Federation of Work, France's most popular federation, celebrated
its 100th anniversary in 1995. It sees its role as as promoting the ideals
of liberty, equality, justice, the separation of church and state, fraternity
and solidarity. The CGT fights to translate these ideals into both individual
and collective guaranties that include the right to organize, the right
to work, social protection, and the means to live with dignity at work,
in the family and in society. They also fight for freedom of opinion and
expression and of union action, the freedom to strike and to have a say
over social and economic life within the place of employment as well as
in society at large.
The CGT Web site (in French)
Britain
Please check back for this listing.
Germany
Industriegewerkschaft Metall - IG METALL
German Metal Workers Trade Union represents 2.8 million members in the
iron, steel, metal and metal processing, textile and garment, as well
as wood and plastics industries.
IG Metall web site (in
German)
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