8 October, 2010The IMF Aerospace Conference held in Seattle on October 6-7 brought together unions representing aerospace workers in 13 countries to find ways to work together as a global counterpart to the globalised companies that dominate the industry.
USA: 'Building union power for secure jobs' was the theme at the IMF's world Aerospace Conference held on October 6-7 in Seattle, USA, home to the Boeing company. Unions representing aerospace workers in North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Australia showed their commitment to working more closely together to ensure that the benefits of this globalised industry are passed on to workers.
Over the two day period, participants discussed the importance of the aerospace industry to each of their nation's economies. They recognized that the industry provides high skilled, high wage jobs that are critical for their future, but also that there are dangerous trends in the industry towards outsourcing and the use of temporary, precarious, and contingent workers. Participants from different regions and perspectives shared their experiences of dealing with these issues, as well as anti-union activities by companies, with the aim of developing common strategies.
Participants agreed that the first step towards better cooperation in dealing with transnational corporations is the development of trade union networks in such companies and their supply chains. It was agreed that Airbus, Boeing and Rolls Royce would be the first targets for network development. The aims of the networks will include sharing information on collective bargaining and negotiating international framework agreements.
At the end of the conference, delegates adopted a statement that announced their commitment to building an IMF global aerospace union alliance that will match the global aerospace industry and build their collective union power to negotiate better pay and working conditions for aerospace workers worldwide.