International Solidarity

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?

As globalization draws the world closer together, workers' rights, wages and working conditions are downsized. Global wages are spiraling downward towards the lowest common denominator — countries where workers make as little as a few dollars a day.

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.

UE has built relationships with labor organizations in a variety of countries. We've made labor history with our pioneering Strategic Organizing Alliance with the Authentic Labor Front, the Frente Autentico del Trabajo (FAT) in Mexico. And, we continue to build new ways to link workers and their unions across borders. Find out about this important work at our UE International Solidarity Website.

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Korean Unions Help Defeat Martial Law, Strike to Demand Impeachment of President

December 12, 2024
Seoul, South Korea

UPDATE, 12/14: The South Korean parliament voted 204 to 85 to impeach President Yoon on Saturday, December 14.

On the evening of December 3, South Korea’s right-wing president Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, citing threats from “anti-state forces.” Following the announcement, hundreds of Korean citizens, including many members of the 1.2 million member Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, defied the ban on political activity, gathering at the parliament building where 190 lawmakers were able to enter the building and pass a unanimous motion rejecting Yoon’s imposition of martial law. Several hours later, Yoon rescinded his order.

Mexico Elects Pro-Worker President, First Woman to Hold Office

August 2, 2024
Mexico City

In June, Mexico held federal, state and local elections. Claudia Sheinbaum, who had been the mayor of Mexico City, was elected the country’s first woman president. Her party, Morena, also gained a majority in both houses of the legislature and won at many other levels. 

Sheinbaum has pledged to continue the progressive reforms that the current president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, popularly known as AMLO, has put into place. These include improved rights in the workplace, requirements for democratic union elections, and strengthening social safety nets, like reforming the pension system to better support lower income workers when they retire.

Labour Party Wins Power in UK, French Workers Defeat Far-Right

August 2, 2024

In July, both the United Kingdom and France held national elections. In both countries, parties representing “labour” or working class perspectives did better than expected.

In the UK, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, from the Conservative Party, lacked credibility with the public and faced growing public discontent. Much of this was fueled by extremely high prices, with inflation over 11 percent at one point, and only dropping recently. This has been one of many impacts of the British exit from the European Union, or “Brexit” as it was commonly called.

UE Members Learn about Struggles of Mexican Workers in Worker-to-Worker Exchange

June 14, 2024

A UE delegation traveled to Mexico for a week in May to meet with our allies at the Frente Auténtico del Trabajo (FAT) for the first time since 2017. The trip was an important opportunity to ground UE members in the union’s international solidarity work, which prioritizes supporting workers in their struggles with their bosses. As members learned, even when our managers might be different, our employers use the same kinds of tactics to prevent workers from organizing and to exploit workers’ labor.

Canadian Parliament Unanimously Passes Anti-Scab Legislation

May 31, 2024
Ottawa, Canada

On Monday, May 27, Canada’s parliament unanimously passed new “anti-scab” legislation that will prohibit federally-regulated employers from using replacement workers during a strike.

“This legislation is about protecting the right to fair and free collective bargaining, including the right to strike,” said Lana Payne, National President of UE’s Canadian ally Unifor. The bill “modernizes Canada’s labor relations system to reflect the current social and economic context of this country, where increased corporate power and wealth requires an effective counter-balance.”

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