UK's largest union to join United Steelworkers

[DLnyc]

Source: Associated Press

UK's largest union says it has finalized merger deal with United Steelworkers

LONDON (AP) -- Britain's largest union is merging with United Steelworkers, creating the first trans-Atlantic labor organization, the two labor groups said Sunday.

UNITE, which represents more than 2 million workers in Britain's transportation, energy and public sectors, among others, is set to join United Steelworkers, which has some 850,000 members in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.
(snip)
"We're dealing with global companies that can move capital -- and employment -- around the world, at will in many cases," he said. "While big business is global, and labor is national, we're going to be at a disadvantage."

Read more: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080525/britain_union_merger.html

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Interesting. A global labor movement could begin to redress a huge power imbalance. I've always found it ironic that the US labor movement, (mis-)led by CIA-asset George Meany, supported the Vietnam War and actively fought against protesters. Now that backward, US-supported governments in Sourtheast Asia are some of the biggest suppliers of out-sourced labor, . . .

[myrna minx]

1. This is fantastic.

:kick:

[eleny]

2. Workers of the world unite

[salib]

3. That was the point of the IWW.

U.S. workers pushed hard for international scope, yet are the most "nationalistic" now. Perhaps this is, at long last, a way to reframe the debate.

In the meantime, it is important to remember that companies still do not exist outside of their national charters. We still have national control over "international" corporations, if we simply exercise it. We CAN terminate their charter. Takes a lot gumption, though. Kinda like union members have when they have to strike, huh?

[madrchsod]

4. about time

united we stand!

[enlightenment]

5. Interesting. I wonder if that will impact the style of

negotiation used by the unions? I'm no expert (*please don't hurt me . . .*) and may very well be completely off-base, but it seems like workers in the US tend to strike for extended periods, but they do it rarely. UK workers, particularly in the transportation and public sectors, seem to strike more often, on a scheduled basis, for much shorter periods.

[DLnyc]

8. Yes, I think labor in general is much weaker in the USA than in the UK.

I tend to think that that may have to do with the successful push in the 50's and 60's to conflate labor with nationalism and anti-communism.

An interesting article in Wiki --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Meany

Nice to see a chink in that armor here.

[Proletariatprincess]

9. US Labor Law is the culpret here...

The USA is at least 60 years behind the rest of the industrialized world in workers rights/labor law. The repeal of the Taft Hartly Law would be a good first step to bring the USA into the civilized world and begin to address the lopsided playing field between Labor and Management. The UK is no workers paradise either, but it is still better than the USA and this merger can only be a good thing for workers of the two countries.

[DLnyc]

10. Thank you for this post. You inspired me to read up a little on Taft-Hartley.

Again from Wiki, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft-Hartley_Act

Interesting how fear of the 'great communist menace' was used then to justify policies desired by certain powerful business leaders, just as the fear of the 'great terrorist menace' is being used today.

[DBoon]

11. You are absolutely right about Taft Hartley

That was the begining of the end for the US labor movement

[harmonicon]

6. !!!

I hope this is the beginning of a trend. Workers of the world, unite!

[bluesmail]

7. I'm smiling as I read about it. K&R for Unions

[LaStrega]

12. Speaking as a Teamster ...

Who's been negotiating for a contract for over three years, this is GENIUS! :woohoo:

:kick: / rec

[Doctor Cynic]

13. this is strange.

You'd think that a British union would associate itself with other European unions, so they could influence EU policy.

Regardless it will be the Chinese leadership who will be turning the tables soon.

[Elspeth]

14. If we have global corporations, we need global unions.

Good.