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Workers Petition Against AFL-CIO Activities in Venezuela, Haiti, and Iraq
Please sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/AFLNED06/
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE AFL-CIO
- Regarding the 'Solidarity Center' - American Center for Internatinal Labor Solidarity (ACILS)
To: All
As workers, we know that the only way for us to protect our interests in this age of corporate globalization and US Empire is to stand together in solidarity, across national boundaries.
It troubles us greatly to know that the AFL-CIO, the largest organization representing US workers, has been associated with anti-worker and anti-democratic activities abroad. This has included a history of partnerships with the CIA and State Department in attacking labor groups, and collaborating with dictatorships or supporting the overthrow of elected governments. Two of the best known of these labor–US government interventions led to the overthrow of the Salvador Allende government in Chile in 1973, and the unsuccessful Venezuela coup in 2002.
Today, the AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center is one of four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy, partnering with the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, and the Center for International Private Enterprise (Chambers of Commerce). The Solidarity Center is more than 90 per cent funded by the federal government. Most of its funding is from the State Department (via the NED and USAID) and the Department of Labor.
Whatever genuine solidarity work the Solidarity Center has done—and it has done some—it does not give it license to advance corporate interests as an arm of US foreign policy by sponsoring politically aligned labor organizations against progressive trade unionists and popular governments.
In Venezuela, the Solidarity Center worked with and funded what it called the "flagship organizations" behind illegal, company-initiated lockouts of oil workers and the failed coup against the democratically elected government of Hugo Chavez.
In Haiti, the Solidarity Center has only supported a labor organization that agitated for the ousting of the democratically elected government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, while failing to act against or condemn the massive persecution of pro-Lavalas, pro-Aristide, public sector trade unionists since the 2004 coup. Furthermore, the Solidarity Center’s partner in the NED, in line with the Bush Agenda, is the International Republican Institute, which funded, prepared and trained the perpetrators of the coup.
In Iraq, where 50 per cent of NED funding is now directed, the Solidarity Center plays an active role backing a US occupation despised by Iraqi workers. It recognizes only one of several union centers. That federation is the only center participating in the government empowered by the Bush Administration, and the only one to state support for the occupation. Choosing to support one union over others violates the AFL-CIO's own primary principle recognizing the rights of workers to choose who will represent them. That principle is called “Freedom of Association.”
These activities are carried out in the name of AFL-CIO rank and file, and are paid for with tax dollars. Whether we are in the AFL-CIO or not, as workers we feel that the AFL-CIO, is OUR organization. It is outrageous that the AFL-CIO accepts funding and backing for its so-called “Solidarity Center” from the Bush Administration or from any administration whose agenda sells out the interests of workers for the sake of corporate interests and political power. We all know that the Bush Administration does not give one dime to any group that does not advance its anti-worker agenda at home and abroad.
The AFL-CIO should never use our credibility as workers to undermine the struggles of workers abroad – to serve as a government weapon for Corporate America. The struggles of workers abroad to improve their conditions are part of our own struggle in the US for a better future. It is totally unacceptable that Solidarity Center activities are done behind the backs of US workers, without any honest reporting and with closed books. It is unaccountable to AFL-CIO unions and certainly to the rank and file. It does not report finances in the manner demanded, by law, of every local union.
We are affronted by the anti-democratic measures that were used by top-level AFL-CIO leaders to prevent a full and honest floor discussion at the 2005 AFL-CIO National Convention in Chicago of the "Build Unity and Trust With Workers Worldwide" resolution. That resolution to account for and end foreign activities tied to government agencies was submitted with unanimous approval by the 2004 Convention of the California State AFL-CIO, representing 2.4 million workers. We cannot accept this distortion of trade union democracy that enables top-level AFL-CIO officials to make deals with the Bush Administration (or any other) to intervene against the will of workers abroad and the sovereignty of nations.
Therefore, in accord with the unanimous vote in the California Labor Federation, we join the call for:
1) The Solidarity Center to immediately terminate its collaboration with the Bush Administration and the NED, withdraw as one of the four core institutes of the NED, refuse to re-enter such relationships in the future and stop all collaboration with the agents of US government foreign policy and corporate globalization;
2) The AFL-CI O to open its books about all projects, past, present, and future, undertaken by the Solidarity Center and predecessor groups that carried out AFL-CIO foreign operations. These would include, but not be limited to, operations that preceded the coup against Salvador Allende in Chile in 1973, the attempted coup against Hugo Chavez in Venezuela in 2002, operations in Haiti leading up to and following the coup, and current activities in and/or related to Iraq. We want detailed reports on a country-by-country basis wherever the Solidarity Center is active—and an immediate termination of any operations that are not specifically intended to help workers in that country.
- Regarding the 'Solidarity Center' - American Center for Internatinal Labor Solidarity (ACILS)
To: All
As workers, we know that the only way for us to protect our interests in this age of corporate globalization and US Empire is to stand together in solidarity, across national boundaries.
It troubles us greatly to know that the AFL-CIO, the largest organization representing US workers, has been associated with anti-worker and anti-democratic activities abroad. This has included a history of partnerships with the CIA and State Department in attacking labor groups, and collaborating with dictatorships or supporting the overthrow of elected governments. Two of the best known of these labor–US government interventions led to the overthrow of the Salvador Allende government in Chile in 1973, and the unsuccessful Venezuela coup in 2002.
Today, the AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center is one of four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy, partnering with the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, and the Center for International Private Enterprise (Chambers of Commerce). The Solidarity Center is more than 90 per cent funded by the federal government. Most of its funding is from the State Department (via the NED and USAID) and the Department of Labor.
Whatever genuine solidarity work the Solidarity Center has done—and it has done some—it does not give it license to advance corporate interests as an arm of US foreign policy by sponsoring politically aligned labor organizations against progressive trade unionists and popular governments.
In Venezuela, the Solidarity Center worked with and funded what it called the "flagship organizations" behind illegal, company-initiated lockouts of oil workers and the failed coup against the democratically elected government of Hugo Chavez.
In Haiti, the Solidarity Center has only supported a labor organization that agitated for the ousting of the democratically elected government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, while failing to act against or condemn the massive persecution of pro-Lavalas, pro-Aristide, public sector trade unionists since the 2004 coup. Furthermore, the Solidarity Center’s partner in the NED, in line with the Bush Agenda, is the International Republican Institute, which funded, prepared and trained the perpetrators of the coup.
In Iraq, where 50 per cent of NED funding is now directed, the Solidarity Center plays an active role backing a US occupation despised by Iraqi workers. It recognizes only one of several union centers. That federation is the only center participating in the government empowered by the Bush Administration, and the only one to state support for the occupation. Choosing to support one union over others violates the AFL-CIO's own primary principle recognizing the rights of workers to choose who will represent them. That principle is called “Freedom of Association.”
These activities are carried out in the name of AFL-CIO rank and file, and are paid for with tax dollars. Whether we are in the AFL-CIO or not, as workers we feel that the AFL-CIO, is OUR organization. It is outrageous that the AFL-CIO accepts funding and backing for its so-called “Solidarity Center” from the Bush Administration or from any administration whose agenda sells out the interests of workers for the sake of corporate interests and political power. We all know that the Bush Administration does not give one dime to any group that does not advance its anti-worker agenda at home and abroad.
The AFL-CIO should never use our credibility as workers to undermine the struggles of workers abroad – to serve as a government weapon for Corporate America. The struggles of workers abroad to improve their conditions are part of our own struggle in the US for a better future. It is totally unacceptable that Solidarity Center activities are done behind the backs of US workers, without any honest reporting and with closed books. It is unaccountable to AFL-CIO unions and certainly to the rank and file. It does not report finances in the manner demanded, by law, of every local union.
We are affronted by the anti-democratic measures that were used by top-level AFL-CIO leaders to prevent a full and honest floor discussion at the 2005 AFL-CIO National Convention in Chicago of the "Build Unity and Trust With Workers Worldwide" resolution. That resolution to account for and end foreign activities tied to government agencies was submitted with unanimous approval by the 2004 Convention of the California State AFL-CIO, representing 2.4 million workers. We cannot accept this distortion of trade union democracy that enables top-level AFL-CIO officials to make deals with the Bush Administration (or any other) to intervene against the will of workers abroad and the sovereignty of nations.
Therefore, in accord with the unanimous vote in the California Labor Federation, we join the call for:
1) The Solidarity Center to immediately terminate its collaboration with the Bush Administration and the NED, withdraw as one of the four core institutes of the NED, refuse to re-enter such relationships in the future and stop all collaboration with the agents of US government foreign policy and corporate globalization;
2) The AFL-CI O to open its books about all projects, past, present, and future, undertaken by the Solidarity Center and predecessor groups that carried out AFL-CIO foreign operations. These would include, but not be limited to, operations that preceded the coup against Salvador Allende in Chile in 1973, the attempted coup against Hugo Chavez in Venezuela in 2002, operations in Haiti leading up to and following the coup, and current activities in and/or related to Iraq. We want detailed reports on a country-by-country basis wherever the Solidarity Center is active—and an immediate termination of any operations that are not specifically intended to help workers in that country.
For more information:
http://www.petitiononline.com/AFLNED06/
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Why would you object to Haiti unions organizing?
Because the unions made up of poor people who supported the government have been persecuted, jailed, exiled, and murdered. The unions who supported the coup are the ones that have been supported with money. Thats pro-labor and pro democracy.
But Haiti's CATH (Centrale Autonome des Travailleurs Haïtiens) union was calling for the overthrow of the Aristide government, as well (as were 28 other unions), and they were among the unions most victimized by the interim government! Do your homework, guys!
Yes, who here is supporting CATH??? CATH was at one point in time also funded by the U.S. State Dept.
If you are talking about the CTH. They were in fact not a member of the CSH Group 184 labor grouping. They had one woman leader who went to some CSH meetings but they never took part. Her head position in the union was taken over by others. CSH was trying to co-opt the leadership of big unions.
Batay ouvriye and some others have tried to spread lies about CTH. Meanwhile nearly half a million dollars is going from the state dept to batay ouvriye affiliated programs. I take it you are either in batay ouvriye or one of the supporters of BO.
You need to get your facts straight.
If you are talking about the CTH. They were in fact not a member of the CSH Group 184 labor grouping. They had one woman leader who went to some CSH meetings but they never took part. Her head position in the union was taken over by others. CSH was trying to co-opt the leadership of big unions.
Batay ouvriye and some others have tried to spread lies about CTH. Meanwhile nearly half a million dollars is going from the state dept to batay ouvriye affiliated programs. I take it you are either in batay ouvriye or one of the supporters of BO.
You need to get your facts straight.
CATH (Centrale Autonome des Travailleurs Haïtiens) is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, extant labor union in Haiti, and worked against several military governments and for the restoration of democratic rule between 1991-1994. Jeb Sprague tried to smear them in one of his articles a while back by criticizing them for holding demonstrations during Aristide's first 7-month tenure in office, though they have held demonstrations before and since against EVERY HAITIAN GOVERNMENT agitating on behalf of Haiti's workers. Maybe one of the reasons they were pissed at Aristide was the act that a pro-Aristide mob burned the headquarters of the CATH labor union in 1991. The Confédération des Travailleurs Haïtiens (CTH) is a far smaller organization. It would be nice if the poster (Jeb Sprague or someone like him?) would not just attack the Haitian labor movement but offer some kind of real solutions, and maybe get out of California every once in a while and talk to real Haitians.
Real Solutions: Try supporting workers rights and building progressive institutions INSTEAD of working with the U.S. State Department to destabilize elected progressive movements. Maybe Batay Ouvryee could learn something? It is also fascinating that you have an excuse (with no evidence) for every Haitian union that receives money from the U.S. State Dept. I'm starting to think Arnold is writing from the pentagon or maybe somewhere in DC. Maybe you should get out of the pentagon mentality and see how workers and unions in Haiti (that do not receive state department funding) have to operate. These are unions that have hardly any money - when the Batay Ouvriye a TINY organization -with a few dozen people gets half a million dollars. According to labor studies (even those funded by the ILO!!!) CTH is among the top three largest unions in Haiti.
It should also be noted that CTH is not the only union to have its workers persecuted under the interimn government. Numerous others such as those in the ports and bus cooperatives.
CTH is among the largest union's in Haiti but is far smaller than CATH. I support CTH as I support CATH. Batay Ouvriye has representatives all over Haiti and they have consistently, with regards to all governments in Haiti including Aristide and the interim regime, spoken out and acted on behalf of Haitian workers. Their stance did not change at all from one government to the next. I do not dispute that Batay received AFL-CIO money (which does not form an exact corollary with "State Department money" as you suggest), but so what? As long as they keep defending the interests of the Haitian workers, who cares where they get there money from? Take the gringos to the cleaners, for all I care. If Chavez would give them money they should take that, too, as should the other unions, as long as they continue to advocate militantly on behalf of the Haitian workers. You say that we should "try supporting workers rights and building progressive institutions" but how do those institutions live without money? You still haven't answered that basic question. Those militant labor organizations should get more support, not less.
Yes, militant organizations should get more support. Like the unions who supported the elected government when death squads and foreign governments were trying to overthrow it... The unions and workers who have been attacked by the interimn government have NOT received ANY SUPPORT from international labor agencies. No investigations. Nothing. Nada. All support has gone to either Batay Ouvriye or the CSH. Myeslf and others have looked at the websites and funds for all the big union federations operating in Haiti.
Also, if you do your homework, you should know that the $450,000 that the Solidarity Center has operating in Haiti is via the State Dept and the NED> You can call the Solidarity and hear this for yourslf. The Solidarity Center also provides reports to the U.S. State Dept in regards to their activities.
Look I don't dispute, that the Batay Ouvriye is probably doing some good to help workers and many of them have good intentions. My problem is that once it was apparent a coup was in the works- the batay ouvriye continued to aggitate for the downfall of the governemnt- which hurt MANY Haitians. Much like PAPDA. and The rest of the foreign funded left...
It is obvious that foreign labor groups (AFL,etc) active in Haiti are only willing to support those labor organizations that will side against progressive/populist governments/movements that the masses elect. This is the international political economy at work.
Also, if you do your homework, you should know that the $450,000 that the Solidarity Center has operating in Haiti is via the State Dept and the NED> You can call the Solidarity and hear this for yourslf. The Solidarity Center also provides reports to the U.S. State Dept in regards to their activities.
Look I don't dispute, that the Batay Ouvriye is probably doing some good to help workers and many of them have good intentions. My problem is that once it was apparent a coup was in the works- the batay ouvriye continued to aggitate for the downfall of the governemnt- which hurt MANY Haitians. Much like PAPDA. and The rest of the foreign funded left...
It is obvious that foreign labor groups (AFL,etc) active in Haiti are only willing to support those labor organizations that will side against progressive/populist governments/movements that the masses elect. This is the international political economy at work.
WHY DOES THE SOLIDARITY CENTER DEPEND ON STATE DEPT FUNDING? THIS CREATES A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. THESE UNIONS ARE BEING MANIPULATED BY THE STATE DEPT.
That money should be going to the Change to Win group!
The AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center and Batay Ouvriye" by Jeb Sprague, November 2005, available at Monthly Review web site:
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/sprague211105.html
"Batay Ouvriye's Smoking Gun - The 100,000 NED Grant" by Jeb Sprague, January 2006, available on ZNet:
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=9505
See also: "Workers' Rights ARE Human Rights -- Not Just in the USA, but around the World" by Kim Scipes, January 2006, available on the Monthly Review web site:
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/scipes250106.html
and "Build Unity and Trust Among Workers Worldwide" a report by Fred Hirsch, July 2004, available at labournet:
http://www.labournet.net/world/0407/hirsch.html
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/sprague211105.html
"Batay Ouvriye's Smoking Gun - The 100,000 NED Grant" by Jeb Sprague, January 2006, available on ZNet:
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=9505
See also: "Workers' Rights ARE Human Rights -- Not Just in the USA, but around the World" by Kim Scipes, January 2006, available on the Monthly Review web site:
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/scipes250106.html
and "Build Unity and Trust Among Workers Worldwide" a report by Fred Hirsch, July 2004, available at labournet:
http://www.labournet.net/world/0407/hirsch.html
Worker-to-Worker Solidarity Committee to AFL-CIO:
Cut All Ties with NED
by Kim Scipes; MRZine; May 01, 2006
On March 6th, over 50 union members from several unions and activist allies picketed the headquarters of the AFL-CIO in Washington, DC. This was to demand that the AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center immediately break off all ties with the misnamed National Endowment for Democracy or NED.
The NED is a leading component of the US Government's efforts to maintain the US Empire, and the Solidarity Center is one of the NED's four "core institutes," along with the international wing of the Republican Party, the international wing of the Democratic Party, and the international wing of the US Chamber of Commerce. Involvement with the NED is one of the AFL-CIO national leaders' efforts to use the name of American workers to undercut workers' efforts around the world, while never informing rank and file members (and many of our leaders) of such practices.
This demonstration was the latest development in a series of actions that have placed increasing pressure on the AFL-CIO's national-level foreign policy leadership. Labor activists have been working for years to transform the AFL-CIO's foreign policy program from serving as "labor imperialism" to becoming a force for genuine international labor solidarity. To date, the AFL-CIO foreign policy leadership has refused to make such a change.
Changes from previous activities that were charged as being "labor imperialism" appeared to have been made upon John Sweeney's assumption of the Presidency in October 1995. However, documented Solidarity Center activities in Venezuela established conclusively that the Solidarity Center was involved in bringing together its long-time right wing ally, the CTV (Workers Confederation of Venezuela), with the national business confederation, FEDECAMARAS, just prior to the attempted coup against democratically-elected President Hugo Chavez in April 2002: CTV and FEDECAMARAS leaders played prominent roles in the coup attempt. [This was a process that was very similar to AIFLD's (American Institute for Free Labor Development-the AFL-CIO's then-Latin American affiliate) operations in Chile in 1972-73, just before the coup against democratically-elected President Salvador Allende that led to the death of thousands and the establishment of the Pinochet Dictatorship.] Besides copies of reports of activities to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) about their activities in Venezuela, researchers found that the NED had provided the Solidarity Center with over $700,000 between 1997 and 2002 for its work in Venezuela. (See http://www.labornotes.org/archives/2004/04/articles/e.html .)
A resolution was passed unanimously by the 2.4 million member California AFL-CIO in July 2004 in its State Convention that condemned the AFL-CIO foreign policy program. Its "Build Unity and Trust with Workers Worldwide" resolution was forwarded to the AFL-CIO for the 2005 National Convention in Chicago. (See http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/article.php?id=6394 .)
A detailed discussion of the AFL-CIO foreign policy program under Sweeney was published in May 2005. It concluded, "In short, there are good reasons to believe that under AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, labor's foreign policy has reverted back to 'traditional' labor imperialism" (http://www.monthlyreview.org/0505scipes.htm .)
Following that, an in-depth report concerning the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and its work in Venezuela was published in July 2005. This article also explained the Solidarity Center's relationship with the NED. (See http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?sectionID=19&itemID=8268 .)
However, AFL-CIO national-level leadership worked to ensure that the California AFL-CIO's "Build Unity and Trust" resolution would not reach the convention floor unimpeded. (See http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?sectionID=19&itemID=8150 .) Over 100 union members and our allies-a joint project of the Latin American Solidarity Committee and its Chicago affiliate, Organizing Group to Say No to the NED-demonstrated at Chicago's Navy Pier on the hottest day of the year, urging support for "Build Unity and Trust," and then marched over to the Sheraton Hotel, which was the headquarters for the Convention. Needless to say, the demonstration was ignored by AFL-CIO leaders. And then, on the Convention floor, Sweeney ally Gerald McEntee of AFSCME, refused to let speakers support the California resolution (http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?sectionID=19&itemID=8421 .)
Subsequently, Jeb Sprague has reported that the Solidarity Center had been operating in Haiti. They had passed on almost $100,000 to Batay Ouvriye Labor Center, an organization that had not opposed the overthrow of the democratically-elected government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Sprague, however, had not claimed that Batay had been involved in the coup, which had been led by the United States, France and Canada. (See http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/scipes250106.html .)
The Washington demonstration on March 6 was a continuation of a campaign to force the Solidarity Center to break all ties with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Out of the National Solidarity Conference with Venezuela that took place in DC on March 4-5, union members and activists had launched the Worker-to-Worker Solidarity Committee, to mobilize support within AFL-CIO affiliated unions to break all ties with the reactionary NED.
The Worker-to-Worker Solidarity Committee initiated a demonstration in front of the National Endowment for Democracy offices on 15th Street. Interestingly, despite several contacts, the Washington Post refused to cover the demonstration, even though the NED offices are literally just across the street. A very spirited rally was held for over an hour on March 6th.
However, a suggestion was made that we should go to "another end of the funding pipeline," and that was when the demonstration moved about four blocks to the AFL-CIO headquarters. Marchers were significantly present, and with a bullhorn, were able to adequately convey their demands that the AFL-CIO cut all ties with the NED. AFL-CIO leaders were said to be "outraged," and apparently tried to get one participant fired from his union staffer job in an affiliated union, although to no avail. Needless to say, no AFL-CIO or Solidarity Center leader spoke to the protestors, although they had a building guard threaten a protestor carrying a Venezuelan flag who had stepped close to the building. Protestors took down their picket line after about 40 minutes of loud chanting and speeches.
There will be a special meeting sponsored by the Worker-to-Worker Solidarity Committee on Saturday evening at this year's Labor Notes convention, May 5-7, 2006, in Dearborn, MI-see http://www.labornotes.org . Under the title, "International Labor Solidarity or Labor Imperialism?," members will briefly share developments with others present and seek to expand participation in the Committee, as the next step in developing the campaign to end all AFL-CIO connections with the NED. More information can be obtained beforehand from the Worker-to-Worker Solidarity Committee at workertoworker [at] gmail.com . A web site is in the process of being developed to enhance communication, and hopefully, its launching will be announced at the meeting.
(Although most of the references above are to my own work, many of them contain references to the wide number of materials developed by a growing number of authors. Details are contained in many of the above-referenced articles, which can be downloaded from the Internet.)
Kim Scipes is a member of the National Writers Union and a long-time global labor activist in the US. He currently teaches sociology at Purdue University North Central in Westville, Indiana. His on-line bibliography on "Contemporary Labor Issues" can be accessed at http://faculty.pnc.edu/kscipes/LaborBib.htm. He can be reached at kscipes [at] pnc.edu.
Cut All Ties with NED
by Kim Scipes; MRZine; May 01, 2006
On March 6th, over 50 union members from several unions and activist allies picketed the headquarters of the AFL-CIO in Washington, DC. This was to demand that the AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center immediately break off all ties with the misnamed National Endowment for Democracy or NED.
The NED is a leading component of the US Government's efforts to maintain the US Empire, and the Solidarity Center is one of the NED's four "core institutes," along with the international wing of the Republican Party, the international wing of the Democratic Party, and the international wing of the US Chamber of Commerce. Involvement with the NED is one of the AFL-CIO national leaders' efforts to use the name of American workers to undercut workers' efforts around the world, while never informing rank and file members (and many of our leaders) of such practices.
This demonstration was the latest development in a series of actions that have placed increasing pressure on the AFL-CIO's national-level foreign policy leadership. Labor activists have been working for years to transform the AFL-CIO's foreign policy program from serving as "labor imperialism" to becoming a force for genuine international labor solidarity. To date, the AFL-CIO foreign policy leadership has refused to make such a change.
Changes from previous activities that were charged as being "labor imperialism" appeared to have been made upon John Sweeney's assumption of the Presidency in October 1995. However, documented Solidarity Center activities in Venezuela established conclusively that the Solidarity Center was involved in bringing together its long-time right wing ally, the CTV (Workers Confederation of Venezuela), with the national business confederation, FEDECAMARAS, just prior to the attempted coup against democratically-elected President Hugo Chavez in April 2002: CTV and FEDECAMARAS leaders played prominent roles in the coup attempt. [This was a process that was very similar to AIFLD's (American Institute for Free Labor Development-the AFL-CIO's then-Latin American affiliate) operations in Chile in 1972-73, just before the coup against democratically-elected President Salvador Allende that led to the death of thousands and the establishment of the Pinochet Dictatorship.] Besides copies of reports of activities to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) about their activities in Venezuela, researchers found that the NED had provided the Solidarity Center with over $700,000 between 1997 and 2002 for its work in Venezuela. (See http://www.labornotes.org/archives/2004/04/articles/e.html .)
A resolution was passed unanimously by the 2.4 million member California AFL-CIO in July 2004 in its State Convention that condemned the AFL-CIO foreign policy program. Its "Build Unity and Trust with Workers Worldwide" resolution was forwarded to the AFL-CIO for the 2005 National Convention in Chicago. (See http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/article.php?id=6394 .)
A detailed discussion of the AFL-CIO foreign policy program under Sweeney was published in May 2005. It concluded, "In short, there are good reasons to believe that under AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, labor's foreign policy has reverted back to 'traditional' labor imperialism" (http://www.monthlyreview.org/0505scipes.htm .)
Following that, an in-depth report concerning the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and its work in Venezuela was published in July 2005. This article also explained the Solidarity Center's relationship with the NED. (See http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?sectionID=19&itemID=8268 .)
However, AFL-CIO national-level leadership worked to ensure that the California AFL-CIO's "Build Unity and Trust" resolution would not reach the convention floor unimpeded. (See http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?sectionID=19&itemID=8150 .) Over 100 union members and our allies-a joint project of the Latin American Solidarity Committee and its Chicago affiliate, Organizing Group to Say No to the NED-demonstrated at Chicago's Navy Pier on the hottest day of the year, urging support for "Build Unity and Trust," and then marched over to the Sheraton Hotel, which was the headquarters for the Convention. Needless to say, the demonstration was ignored by AFL-CIO leaders. And then, on the Convention floor, Sweeney ally Gerald McEntee of AFSCME, refused to let speakers support the California resolution (http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?sectionID=19&itemID=8421 .)
Subsequently, Jeb Sprague has reported that the Solidarity Center had been operating in Haiti. They had passed on almost $100,000 to Batay Ouvriye Labor Center, an organization that had not opposed the overthrow of the democratically-elected government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Sprague, however, had not claimed that Batay had been involved in the coup, which had been led by the United States, France and Canada. (See http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/scipes250106.html .)
The Washington demonstration on March 6 was a continuation of a campaign to force the Solidarity Center to break all ties with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Out of the National Solidarity Conference with Venezuela that took place in DC on March 4-5, union members and activists had launched the Worker-to-Worker Solidarity Committee, to mobilize support within AFL-CIO affiliated unions to break all ties with the reactionary NED.
The Worker-to-Worker Solidarity Committee initiated a demonstration in front of the National Endowment for Democracy offices on 15th Street. Interestingly, despite several contacts, the Washington Post refused to cover the demonstration, even though the NED offices are literally just across the street. A very spirited rally was held for over an hour on March 6th.
However, a suggestion was made that we should go to "another end of the funding pipeline," and that was when the demonstration moved about four blocks to the AFL-CIO headquarters. Marchers were significantly present, and with a bullhorn, were able to adequately convey their demands that the AFL-CIO cut all ties with the NED. AFL-CIO leaders were said to be "outraged," and apparently tried to get one participant fired from his union staffer job in an affiliated union, although to no avail. Needless to say, no AFL-CIO or Solidarity Center leader spoke to the protestors, although they had a building guard threaten a protestor carrying a Venezuelan flag who had stepped close to the building. Protestors took down their picket line after about 40 minutes of loud chanting and speeches.
There will be a special meeting sponsored by the Worker-to-Worker Solidarity Committee on Saturday evening at this year's Labor Notes convention, May 5-7, 2006, in Dearborn, MI-see http://www.labornotes.org . Under the title, "International Labor Solidarity or Labor Imperialism?," members will briefly share developments with others present and seek to expand participation in the Committee, as the next step in developing the campaign to end all AFL-CIO connections with the NED. More information can be obtained beforehand from the Worker-to-Worker Solidarity Committee at workertoworker [at] gmail.com . A web site is in the process of being developed to enhance communication, and hopefully, its launching will be announced at the meeting.
(Although most of the references above are to my own work, many of them contain references to the wide number of materials developed by a growing number of authors. Details are contained in many of the above-referenced articles, which can be downloaded from the Internet.)
Kim Scipes is a member of the National Writers Union and a long-time global labor activist in the US. He currently teaches sociology at Purdue University North Central in Westville, Indiana. His on-line bibliography on "Contemporary Labor Issues" can be accessed at http://faculty.pnc.edu/kscipes/LaborBib.htm. He can be reached at kscipes [at] pnc.edu.
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