The blog of Eric Lee - web design and internet consulting for the trade union movement.
Transatlantic solidarity
Several delegates have gotten up to speak about the struggle to unionize bus drivers in the US who are employed by a British-based company, First Group/First Student. Now they are showing a film with British workers -- members of the Transport and General Workers Union -- expressing their solidarity. The Teamsters and SEIU have been working together very closely on this campaign, and you can find more details here: http://www.drivingupstandards.org/
It's great to see a concrete example of cross-border solidarity, or as Andy Stern says, "workers of the world unite" (or was that Karl Marx?).
Comments
Yes Yes Eric - Workers of the World Unite is still an important slogan to organise around
My question from Down Under - what real discussion was there about Global Partnerships.
How will CTW be different from AFL-CIO in its international work?
We know the AFL-CIO's international work has been sullied by its attitude of being ever-ready to be a front for the CIA.
How can we be assured CTW will not be captured by the spooks?
How will they keep to a progressive agenda which does not patronise other union traditions?
Posted by: Andrew Casey | September 28, 2005 12:33 AM
Just a factual note - Transport & General Workers local negotiators have just succeeded in getting a much improved agreement for drivers with First here in Suffolk, after a one-week strike which brought the company to its senses.
Posted by: Sandy Martin | September 28, 2005 11:04 AM