International Solidarity

When corporate decisions made half a world away can impact jobs and investments with the speed of keystroke, what choice do working people have but to make alliances across national boundaries? When U.S. politicians are beholden to transnational corporations, what choice do U.S. working people have but to make common cause with workers elsewhere in the world?

As globalization draws the world closer together, workers' rights, wages and working conditions are downsized. Global wages are spiraling downward towards the lowest common denominator — countries where workers make as little as a few dollars a day.

Starting from a longstanding commitment to international solidarity, UE believes that more than ever, unions must act and think globally. A real commitment to international labor solidarity means more than just resolutions and meetings. It requires rank-and-file action.

UE has built relationships with labor organizations in a variety of countries. We've made labor history with our pioneering Strategic Organizing Alliance with the Authentic Labor Front, the Frente Autentico del Trabajo (FAT) in Mexico. And, we continue to build new ways to link workers and their unions across borders. Find out about this important work at our UE International Solidarity Website.

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UE Hosts Belgian Trade Union Delegation in Pittsburgh

October 9, 2026

On October 3, UE hosted a delegation from the Belgian trade union FGTB. UE Secretary-Treasurer Andrew Dinkelaker and members of UE Local 667 joined the Belgian trade unionists at an Oktoberfest event in Pittsburgh, which raised money for Palestinians.

The Belgian union delegation, members of the Belgian FGTB, was on a three-city tour (Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, and Chicago) to meet union leaders and other activists to discuss how they are fighting the far-right and fascism.

UE Congratulates Italian Metalworkers’ Union on 125th Anniversary

June 16, 2026

One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, 82 metal workers, guests, and allies gathered in the city of Livorno to found the Federazione Impiegati Operai Metallurgici (Federation of Metalworkers), Italy’s militant metalworkers’ union, which, over the past eleven years, has become one of UE’s closest international allies. UE General President Scott Slawson sent a letter to FIOM General Secretary Michele De Palma congratulating FIOM on their anniversary.

Unifor, Other Canadian Unions Say No to War on Cuba

June 16, 2026

Unifor, Canada’s largest private-sector union and a close UE ally, joined 27 other Canadian unions and faith and civil-society organizations in calling for peace, sovereignty and solidarity with the people of Cuba. The joint statement, released on Monday, calls on the Canadian government to oppose threats of military intervention by the U.S. and to speak out against unlawful measures harming Cuban people.

UE Condemns Government Interference in Argentine Union

June 15, 2026

UE General President Scott Slawson sent a letter today to members of the Metal Workers Union of the Argentine Republic (UOM), expressing UE’s solidarity with UOM members after the government removed their democratically-elected leaders. In May, the National Labor Appeals Court ordered a 180-day judicial intervention in UOM, annulling the re-election of General Secretary Abel Furlán.

Historic Win for Italy’s Metal Workers

February 12, 2026

In November, UE’s close Italian ally FIOM secured a major victory after four days of continuous and intense negotiations. The new national agreement, negotiated by FIOM and two other metalworkers’ unions with national employers’ federations, covers more than 1.5 million workers across the country and guarantees a €205 (US $237.17) increase on minimum contractual salaries over four years, which the unions say is essential to protecting wages amid rising living costs and economic uncertainty.

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