Shape of Transnational Unionism: International Trade Secretariats

摘要

At the center of American labor's international activities is the federation, the AFL-CIO. Because it is the most representataive body and thus can best speak on behalf of labor as a whole, the AFL-CIO commonly expresses labor's viewpoint on on foreign policy issues. But it does not have a monopoly. Not only are there independent unions which speak for themselves, but AFL-CIO affiliate are autonomous organizations entitled to express views of their own. Some do so frequently. The federation traditionally takes chief responsibility for maintaining relations with labor organizations abroad. To that end it cultivates contacts with labor federations in other countries. For the past 10 years, however, the AFL-CIO has been absent from the principal international body for democratic trade unionism the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). This not the place to review the circumstances which let to the estrangement, except to note that at its center was and still remains a conflict of principle over the establishment of relations with labor organizations in Communist coutries. The adverse impact of the AFL-CIO's withdrawal from the ICFTU has been mitigated by the continuing ties which individual American unions maintain with the so-called International Trade Secretariats. Over 60 National unions in the United States are affiliated with the International Trade Secretariats. That is the name for some 16 international organizations composed of national unions from different countries with members working in related industries or occupations.