HELP IRAQI UNIONS CONVENE AN INTERNATIONAL LABOR CONFERENCE IN IRAQ

$150,000 needed to underwrite costs.
Solidarity contributions needed.

Plans are underway to hold an International Labor Conference in Iraq in February 2009. This is an important step toward strengthening and unifying the labor movement in Iraq. Only through increased solidarity in Iraq, and with workers in the region and around the world can Iraqi's labor movement hope to impact the fate not only of workers but of all Iraqis. (Learn more at http://www.workerstoday.com/english/.)

Iraqi unions have called upon all unions and other labor organizations, and individual union members and others around the world to support this conference morally and financially.

Our expressions of solidarity with workers in Iraq in the past have provided a lifeline of hope. Our support for this conference will buoy and strengthen the Iraqi labor movement. This is a very concrete action each of us can take to express our solidarity with the people and labor movement of Iraq. It will cost $150,000 to put on this conference. 

Please ­make a generous donation.

Get others to do likewise.

Ask your union, regional labor bodies and labor councils to contribute generously to enable our sisters and brothers in Iraq to take this important step.

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Dividing Iraq

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"Mission Accomplished"

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Statement by Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions
to 2008 Chevron and ExxonMobil Shareholder Meetings

by Hassan Juma'a Awad, President
Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions c/o USLAW

On May 28, 2008, Chevron and ExxonMobil Corporations each conducted their annual shareholder meetings.  Chevron convened its meeting at its world headquarters in San Ramon, CA.  ExxonMobil conducted its meeting in Dallas, Texas. Antiwar, environmental and other social justice organizations conducted protests at each event.

Read More »

AFL-CIO and ITUC Challenge Iraqi Government
on Labor Rights

From the day the dictatorship fell, Iraqi workers have demanded the right to organize their own unions, free of government interference. They have demanded all of the rights established by the International Labour Organization - foremost the rights to freely organize, bargain and, when necessary, to strike.  The new Iraqi Constitution calls for the adoption of a basic labor law that recognizes and codifies these rights. 

The Maliki regime has instead ordered labor elections in June in which workers are to designate their unions and elect union leadership.  However, workers in all public enterprises (including the entire oil industry) are barred from voting, and the government retains the right to disqualify union leaders chosen by the workers in those elections. The elections will apparently result in only one government-approved labor federation, rather than providing union pluralism required by ILO standards (and already established in fact by the workers themselves in the variety of labor organizations they created after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein).

It is in this context that John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO, and Guy Rider, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), have written strong protests to Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki.

Read More »

NOW AVAILABLE - Documentary Video:
Meeting Face to Face:
The Iraq-US Labor Solidarity Tour

View a trailer for the documentary and obtain information on how order your copy of this important video HERE.

Calendar of Local Screenings

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