No More Labor Imperialism – STOP $75 Million From US NED To AFL-CIO “Solidarity Center” UFCLP Statement


Even before the formation of the AFL-CIO in 1955, US business union leadership has worked with the US government to support pro-capitalist unions and also to support the overthrow of governments that challenged the US multinationals. The AFL-CIO bureaucracy has a long history of support for  capitalism, labor management partnership, and the capitalist system. It, in fact, was organized as an anti-communist organization, complete with loyalty oaths, and based itself in supporting the pro-corporate agenda of both the Democrats and Republicans.


The AFL-CIO’s first president, George Meany, also secretly collaborated with the CIA and hired CIA agents with millions of dollars to set up pro-corporate unions that support forming partnerships with the bosses. The AFL-CIO top officials have been involved in labor crimes in which they supported gangsters and thugs to attack and murder trade unionists and their families around the world. They have provided hundreds of millions of dollars to do this dirty work in Chile, Guatemala, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Japan, Turkey, Venezuela, South Africa, the Philippines, South Korea, Ukraine, Puerto Rico and many other countries.


In the US colony Puerto Rico, they supported the first free trade zone and have supported privatization of healthcare and other resources.


As a labor imperialist bureaucracy, they have spent millions of dollars of union dues to raid the teachers union and other unions while supporting charters. They have done this when tens millions of workers are still unorganized in the US. This is the epitome of labor imperialism.


They have prevented US rank-and-file workers from knowing about these activities by refusing to open the books.


They have supported privatization of public services and resources around the world to benefit US capitalists and multinationals, and deregulation benefiting the capitalists.


While the AFL-CIO leadership talks about “democracy” and says it is against government control of unions, its international operations is in fact an appendage of the US government. The so-called “Solidarity Center is getting $75 million from the National Endowment For Democracy, which is funded by the US government. This top-down operation is how the AFL-CIO is structured, with a leadership that supports corporate trade agreements like USMCA – essentially a NAFTA on steroids.
Under Trump and Pelosi, the NED budget went up to $300 million and it continues to grow whether Democrats or Republicans are in control.


A new organization has been formed this year called the Labor Education Project On The AFL-CIO International Operations (LEPAIO). It has proposed a resolution to go to the AFL-CIO convention and other unions to open the books of the international operations of the AFL-CIO, and hold the AFL-CIO leadership responsible for the attacks and murders of  trade unionists and their families around the world. These officials  must be held accountable. The resolution also demands an end of the government funding of the AFL-CIO international operations.


The UFCLP supports these demands. We also believe that trade union members in the US need to support this initiative in their union local, state, and national bodies. US workers cannot defend themselves or workers around the world when their unions are funded by the US government. The billionaires and multinationals who control the Democratic and Republican parties are happy with the role of the AFL-CIO leadership because they serve the interests of capital. It is critical that this anti-labor agenda ends and workers build a mass, independent, and democratic labor party that will stand with the interests of workers here and around the world.


This means united action by US workers with workers around the world who are fighting multinationals in the US and internationally. To wage a successful struggle against the multinationals, workers must organize on the principle of international class solidarity.  We cannot allow borders to stop joint strike actions by workers in every industry. We need united global action against privatization and outsourcing facing public education and public services. This is the road to build a new global working class that unites and fights globally in action.


This fight is only beginning and we will join with workers throughout the world to hold these officials accountable.


Resolution To End Government Funding Of The International Operations Of The AFL-CIO And Open The Books Of The AFL-CIO

 

  1. Whereas, working people and members of the AFL-CIO have the right to transparency about the operations of their unions and,
  2. Whereas, the AFL-CIO has collaborated with the CIA, Agency For International development AID and the National Endowment for Democracy NED and,
  3.  Whereas, workers around the world and their unions have faced attacks and subversion by this collaboration of the AFL-CIO leadership and,
  4. Whereas, a democratic independent trade union movement must not be funded by governments and,
  5. Whereas, we need real worker-to-worker direct solidarity and education of our mutual issues and needs and, 
  6. Whereas, US labor faces the same attack as workers around the world of privatization, deregulation, union busting and the growth of fascist forces and,
  7. Whereas, the $75 million a year for the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center compromises the independence of our trade union movement and,
  8. Whereas, the AFL-CIO awarded the George Meany Award to South African Chief Butthelezi, who was involved in organizing armed thugs to attack and murder trade unionists, including Jabu Nlovu.

 

Therefore, the AFL-CIO should acknowledge the past anti-labor practices and apologize to trade unionists, worker organizations and their families who have been violently attacked and murdered in attempted coups and other operations and,

Therefore, the AFL-CIO should drop ALL contact with the National Endowment for Democracy and reject the $75 million a year it offers in blood money and,

Therefore, the AFL-CIO should open all its archives of its international operations and,

Therefore, there should be an independent labor investigation of these attacks and deaths and the AFL-CIO should compensate the workers and their families who have faced these attacks on workers rights and,

Therefore, the AFL-CIO shall withdraw the George Meany award from South African Chief Buthelezi for the attacks and murders of hundreds of trade unionists and their families and,

Therefore, the AFL-CIO will make a public report to the membership of the AFL-CIO on their website for all members and workers to be aware of this record and,

Therefore, the AFL-CIO will now rely on self-funding and mass financial campaigns of solidarity work with trade unionists and labor around the world.