explains.
The documents, from the Labor Development (AIFLD), SIDE THAT OCEANE TICHOE 1977-1981 the US Government Hooting most of the bil. le AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor — Congress for Industrial Organisation) and major US multinationals are and will be spending over 20 million dollars to subvert trade unions and bring them into line with United States foreign policy.
The budget for AIFLD's headquarters alone is over three million dollars.
The nominally independent training programs" and "social MOTED COE ERECUEDOU! the American continent with Ene you ol cocourasing the growth and development of free. demperate trade unions' These trade unionists, having responsible trade unionism' in courses in a free society' and consequently obstruct any efforts to rock the boat in their break with US imperialist policies.
VETTED Ostensibly, labor leader training" and social welfare projects' seem innocuous, even laudable projects. However.
money never frittered away and maximum the US will get value for money.
cants for the training programmies, leged' ones who will he trained at the AIFLD's Front Royal Institute in Virginia, are vetted by the US Labor Mission at the embassy in their own country. He or she is permission of his The conditions for training also include the stipulation that the trainee will become full-time official or important leader of a trade won when he or she returns. In this way the AIFLD has succeeded in havine its trainees in the Jeadership o trade union confederations In Ecuador Hine and E Salvador, for example, over 90 per cent of the leadership of the "democratic" trade confederations are trained. The same is true for just about every will Latin America.
Social welfare projecte are no less controlled. apent through AlFLD, the US own Agency for Development (AID), and the AFL-CIO (known to many in Latin America as the CLAI on bcalth housing projects and workers' credit membership of the appropriate In this way, workers bribed into belonging to kept unions with the express purpose of undermining the mobilisation by HUUCOCUUCHE HELLES startling example welfare' action is document Guatemala. February 15 • gigantic earthquake destroyed thousands of homes, smashed businesses and led to disease epidemics. her In response to the disaster the AFL-CIO donated dollars, This money by through the CTF (Confederacion de Trabajadores Federados the major cration) for food, blankets, combined wih Enrecor GUATEMALA Earthquake. US aid went to pet trade unions tools and roofing materials.
This aid criminately handed our and the hands were usco to renair the union damage done to the CTF, and AIFLD- to increase the prestige of the 'Irce, democratic' country in 10120129 NOTORIOUS The mone The vast majority of the finance is donnied in form by the AlD to the ATFLD.
AFL- Thence the cash 1s donaled in "sub-grants" to US unions to the facilities. AFL-CIO. ed in nosey ording used in this way American Federation of Musi-cians (AFM), the Communicaare tions Workers (CWA), the American Federation of State County Municipal trade LAFSCME), Federation of Teachers (AFT), of and Airline Clerks (BRAC), the ded in the In Cass Bolle Blowers Umon (GBBA) and several others. of to the recipients through their Enternational deration the internstional Free Teachers Unions for the AFT In which the was National Union of Teachers AIFLD belongs) or to the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) for the BRAC (to which "free, both the Transport and General Workers Union National Union belong).
that show Petroleum Workers (IFPCW).
operation.
AIFLD
centre of activities).
document signed by we sec that GABA will AIFLD and adopted indis- this fact.
inceresting trade Stale Department) as provided officers.
America and Employees American Railway Foderation and the of Seamen up sinister associa Lions. In 1975, for example, the Federation of Chemical was disbanded since it had beer exposed by prominent American trade unjonists as a CLA It has been discredited and exposed too extensively to be of any further use elber to toL the CIA Tan organisation never far from the the AIFLD's However, all was not lost, and from a State Depertment Kissinger in November 1975, - in 1576 the Teplace the The idea was that the GBBA AIFLD had should begin the groundwork for recreating an international replace Following IFPCW, reaffiliate the unions that used to belong to it and thus continue to be used by the the The Iskelibood of the scheme being depended amount of publicity given to be SUES A The CIA's connections with it remained. the AIFLD can be gicaned from altercations this between the AIFLD and the local US embassies (under the well labor Agee'stbat the AIFLD haslong cover Above and below: In the Guatemala earthquake of February 1976, aid from the AFL-CID was distributed through the 'kept' dare and ignore else could pressure?
United Information In Brazil in 1968, a senate investigation revealed that the able been using money in clectoral activities. In spite of widespread pressure massive publicity, the AIFLD did not leave May 1977 semorandum noted that the US ambassador in Brazil had free maintained for two years tha the Iocal AFFLD office should ciosed. AIFLD representahowever ensured tha From the same memo comes operate in most of the problem comes, supportay archas leaders, primarily which include discussions of trade whoo and hungo Tients without specifically cricicisine the host government. Some of our embassies in these countries Daveraised pobey objections to AIFLD's continuing support of NUEL BUN UPLICAL THISIS to operate within government programs have been terminated this In this and other examples wo see an organisation that can go over the head of an ambassador him. such organisation is the CIA; whe exert much The presenoe of the CIA LI these affairs is one aspect of the unified global strategy of the government presented variously through thi CIA, The AIFLD, AID, the US Agency. US embassies and the AFL-CIO (in this contest barely distinguishgovernment agency):
All these stand four square in the defence of United Stares multinational interests all over Whereas the AFFLD and the AFL-CIO purport to stand Tor where they are commitred to even semi-feudal, regimes since any kind of reform or genuine social progress is reginded as the first step towards social revolution.
To Tate 1958, members of government, busincis peopie and trade unionists gathered for a conference at Cornell University in the USA Developed Countries John T Dunlop. Harvard Economics Deperiment. out Load the altitude that is the present policy of AIFLD On trade unions in the Third World, hesaid, "When we go to a country like Trag or Ghana, mayhe the hes advice we can free trade union but masbe to tell them not lo bave any trade union or to have a controlled trade union EXPLOITATION He went on. 'We have to be reconciled to the fact that for a OT these unions are going to be kept unions. It is complerely CODsistent to say that, on the one hand I am in favour of free and independent unions, while the other hand i recognise that in the face of the Communist CUTER may S0Dd reasons for the unions to be kept unions.
The AIFLD and its counter Alrican-American Labor Con Free Labor Institute, pivotal instruments in keeping the fice world' open for the fullest exploitation imperialism and the maximum quiescence of the international working class.
The workers of the world meust organise internationaliy just as their opponent does; the struggle cannot be confined to nationa. boundaries.
The first step must be for all trade unions to rid cheir own agents and cliens of imperia].
maIn * For further information AME WATER ME SUT TAG AIRIE mentioned documents, contset Peoples: RETTILL -Upper Street, London NI [Tel: 01-359 3785)
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their own country and at special cognise the dignity of labor
Documents that have reached Peoples News Service in London reveal the United States' comprehensive plans to stymie opposition to its policies and those of its client leaders in Latin America. A PNS correspondent
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GEORGES MARCHAIS, leader of the French Comwithout the right paperi SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 16 March, 1978 page 1