There is an on-going debate within the AFL-CIO about the future of the labor movement. Most of this debate has taken place among top-level leaders, although a growing number of efforts by rank-and-file oriented organizations and by labor activists are starting to develop. One of the areas is around AFL-CIO foreign policy. With the quadrennial AFL-CIO Convention taking place in Chicago from July 25-28, 2005, I thought it might be helpful to provide background understanding and information to interested people.

I am interested in opportunites to speak/be interviewed around these developments.

There will be a demonstration at Navy Pier on Sunday, July 24 at 4 pm to support those inside the Convention in their efforts to pass the "Build Unity and Trust With Workers Worldwide" Resolution specifically, and to generally support the efforts transform the AFL-CIO foreign policy program into genuine international labor solidarity.


Key recent articles on AFL-CIO Foreign Policy:

Good historical overview on AFL-CIO foreign policy, with a special focus on period since 1995: "Labor Imperialism Redux?: The AFL-CIO's Foreign Policy Since 1995" by Kim Scipes, Monthly Review, May 2005. On-line (with extensive references, many downloadable) at www.monthlyreview.org/0505scipes.htm .

Companion piece to the above article, which focuses on the relationship between the AFL-CIO and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED): "An Unholy Alliance: The AFL-CIO and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in Venezuela" by Kim Scipes, Z Net, July 10, 2005. On-line at www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm .

For an article that argues the need to distance the labor movement from the Empire, see Kim Scipes, "Free Labor from the Empire: Breaking the NED-Solidarity Center Connection." MR Zine, July 19. 2005 at mrzine.monthlyreview.org/scipes190705.html .

For an article that calls for the establishment of a "truth commission" to examine the AFL-CIO's foreign operations, see Jeff Crosby, "A 'Truth Commission' for AFL's Foreign Policy" at www.labornotes.org/archives/2005/07/articles/a.shtml .

For report on AFL-CIO efforts in Venezuela, in which they actively intervened in events that led to the attempted coup against President Hugo Chavez in April 2002, see "AFL-CIO in Venezuela: Deja Vu All Over Again," Kim Scipes, Labor Notes, April 2004 (on line at www.labornotes.org/archives/2004/04/articles/e.html .)

For the best account of the actual events during the coup attempt, see "Crisis in Venezuela: The Remarkable Fall and Rise of Hugo Chavez" by Steve Ellner and Fred Rosen. NACLA Report on the Americas, July/August, 2002.  (On-line at www.nacla.org/art_display.php.)

For on-line copies of Solidarity Center, Caracus report to National Endowment for Democracy, which reports their active involvement in bringing together CTV (Center of Venezuelan Workers) and FEDECAMARAS (business coalition)--two key leading forces in the coup--see www.venezuelafoia.info/ctva1.html and www.venezuelafoia.info/ctva2.html .

For a good recent account of AFL-CIO activities in Venezuela, see Lee Sustar's "Revolution and Counter-revolution in Venezuela: Assessing the Role of the AFL-CIO." (On-line at www.selvesandothers.org/article10406.html .

For a report on passage of "Build Unity and Trust With Workers Worldwide" by California AFL-CIO, see "California AFL-CIO Rebukes labor's National Level Foreign Policy Leaders" by Kim Scipes, Labor Notes, September 2004. On line at www.uslaboragainstwar.org/article.php .

The text of "Build Unity and Trust" is posted on-line at www.labournet.net/world/0407/hirsch.html .

For Fred Hirsch's recent speech in Geneva, see "AFL-CIO Foreign Policy in Venezuela," June 12, 2005. On-line at www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm .

For recent developments, see "Are AFL-CIO Foreign Policy Leaders Engaging in Dirty Tricks? Foreign Policy Efforts Being Challenged" by Kim Scipes. ZNet, June 23, 2005. (Online at www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm .

See also Harry Kelber, "90% of Solidarity Center's Annual Budget Comes from Payoffs by the US Government," Labor Talk for June 29, 2005, The Labor Educator (On-line at www.laboreducator.org/solcenter.htm .)

For another general look at AFL-CIO foreign policy, but with a specific look at what Labor is doing in China, see Lee Siu Hin, "Labor's China Syndrome: AFL-CIO, Solidarity Center, NED and the Neocons--The Unholy Alliance" at www.actionla.org/features/view.php .

Also, for a final account of the recent efforts to get the "Build Unity and Trust Among Workers Worldwide" resolution passed by the AFL-CIO, see my August 2 piece on ZNet, "AFL-CIO Foreign Policy: Final Report from the Convention" at www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm .


Additional resources can be found on my website at Purdue University North Central: http//faculty.pnc.edu/kscipes/LaborBib.htm . This on-line "Current Labor Issues" bibliography includs material on AFL-CIO foreign policy as well as a wide range of labor activist/engaged academic writings.