Building on the UWUA’s recent successes in working with unions from other countries to win organizing and contract campaigns here in the U.S., the UWUA hosted a conference of the Tri-National Energy Workers Network in January in Los Angeles, CA.

The gathering brought together representatives from more than 20 unions and support organizations with expertise in energy issues, representing workers in the energy sectors of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Confronting Global Industry
“We are very excited to host this important meeting of energy sector unions from across North America,” stated Mike Langford, UWUA national president. “We are especially thrilled that leaders of Mexico’s most courageous independent unions joined us in Los Angeles.”

In addition to making plans for the “Days of Action” demonstrations to protest the Mexican government’s repression of trade union rights, participants in the Los Angeles conference discussed policy issues concerning the entire energy sector, including electricity, natural gas, and oil.

“The energy industry is changing rapidly,” said John Duffy, UWUA national vice president. “That requires us to get together with our union brothers and sisters in Canada and Mexico so that we don’t all wake up one day and find ourselves in a very weakened position. Everyone at the conference agreed to support each other as we confront the global energy industry and their allies in government.”

Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, participated in the conference and said, “Around the world, working people are getting squeezed from every direction. In Los Angeles, our labor federation strongly believes that we must work together and build greater solidarity between U.S., Mexican, and Canadian workers because we share much more than our borders.”

Supporting Independent Unions
The Canadian and U.S. unions spearheading the network include the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Communications, Energy & Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP), the United Steelworkers (USW), and the UWUA. Representatives of leading independent unions from Mexico participated in the conference, including leaders of the Mexican Electrical Workers’ Union and the Mexican Miners’ Union. Both unions have been waging determined resistance against sustained attacks by the Calderón government against their unions’ independence and survival.

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