The Solidarity Center is committed to a world where all workers can expect decent paychecks, safe jobs, respect and fair treatment. Its work is grounded in the certainty that economic and social injustice are neither intractable problems nor acceptable byproducts of a global economy, where a few win at the expense of the many. For the past 20 years, the Solidarity Center has fought alongside American workers to empower others around the world to assert their fundamental rights on the job and have a voice in shaping policies that impact their lives.
Allied with the AFL-CIO, the Solidarity Center is the largest U.S.-based international worker rights organization assisting workers to achieve shared prosperity in the global economy. The Solidarity Center partners with AFL-CIO affiliates and their counterparts across borders, in countries like Colombia, Liberia, Mexico, Morocco and South Africa, to raise standards so all jobs have dignity and equity.
In more than 60 countries, the Solidarity Center builds global worker solidarity through grassroots organizing. In the last 20 years, members of the USW, UNITE HERE, CWA, IAM, BAC, AFGE, AFT, CBTU and others have built networks and found allies in their fights for better contracts at home by partnering with the Solidarity Center.
The Solidarity Center is at the forefront of global movements to protect freedom of association and hold corporations accountable. It trains garment workers on fire safety and stands with women workers fighting for equal pay and against discrimination. It promotes migrant worker rights and fights forced labor. It supports unions promoting collective bargaining. The Solidarity Center helps groups like Brazil’s INSPIR fight institutionalized racism. It advocates with coalitions like the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking, Child Labor Coalition and Cotton Campaign.
The Solidarity Center stands with workers attacked for their activism—facing violence, imprisonment or death for trying to form unions.
Today, growing authoritarianism, xenophobia, racism and misogyny exacerbates the fight for worker rights. Trade deals, labor trafficking and neoliberal policies threaten workers and unions.
As the Solidarity Center begins its next 20 years, it commits its future to a global labor movement based on true equality and inclusion for all workers. Working directly with the American labor movement, it will redouble efforts to secure freedom of association and enforceable worker rights for all workers, everywhere.
In honor of its 20th anniversary, we recognize the achievements and role of the Solidarity Center in the fight for global justice, and call on Convention delegates and unions to:
- Become a sponsor of the next 20 years of Solidarity Center programs that bring worker rights to the world by joining the anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 15, 2017;
- Participate in Solidarity Center exchange programs and contribute expertise to its programs; and
- Join solidarity campaigns led by the Solidarity Center to protect trade union rights around the world.