What's New

• Report: Union Delegates Join Forces at U.N. Climate Change Conference (PDF).
• Download the AFL-CIO Energy Task Force 2007 report (PDF).
• Download the fact sheet "China Trade: Deficits, Jobs, Investment, Exploitation & Manipulation" (PDF).
• Read a summary of the Fair Currency Act of 2007 (PDF).
• Read the statement of Richard L. Trumka, AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer, before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, on international exchange rates and China (PDF).

Main Topic

The AFL-CIO and affiliated unions launched the Industrial Union Council (IUC) in May 2002 to revitalize the nation's industrial strength, the foundation of this nation's prosperity. AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka chairs the IUC, made up of manufacturing unions that focus on key issues in trade, health care and labor law reform.

• Unions of the Industrial Union Council (IUC).

Reports & Info

• Read about Trade Summit 2006: Crisis and Opportunity, which was sponsored by the IUC and the U.S. Business and Industry Council.
• Is Deindustrialization Inevitable? (PDF) from the June 2006 New Labor Forum.
• IUC report: Revitalizing American Manufacturing: A State and Local Strategy, 2005 (PDF)
• IUC report: Revitalizing American Manufacturing, 2004 (PDF) 
• IUC report: Revitalizing American Manufacturing: A State and Local Agenda, 2004 (PDF)
• Map of state-by-state manufacturing job loss (PDF)
• Graph of U.S. trade balance, 1979-2004.
• AFL-CIO report: Wal-Mart Imports from China, Exports Ohio Jobs (PDF)
• IUC presentation: The Price of Competition
  • The Price of Competition (html).

U.S.-China Trade

• When China represses workers' rights, U.S. workers lose jobs.
• AFL-CIO Petition on China
  • Executive Summary (PDF)
  • Full petition (PDF, 813 KB)Key elements of the petition (PDF)
• Q&A about the petition (PDF)
• Solidarity Center report: The Struggle for Workers' Rights in China.
• Read the China Currency Coalition's Section 301 petition on China's currency manipulation.
• Read a summary of the Chinese Currency Act of 2005.  

Testimony

• Read testimony on China from Brett Gibson, legislative representative of the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council, before the U.S. International Trade Commission (PDF).
• Read testimony on the 2007 trade agenda from Robert Baugh, executive director of the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council, before the Senate Finance Committee (PDF).
• Read testimony by Thea Mei Lee, AFL-CIO policy director, before the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, “Trade, Foreign Policy, and the American Worker” (PDF).
• Read testimony by AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council Executive Director Robert Baugh before the Committee on Workforce and Economic Development, "Revitalizing Manufacturing: An Agenda for Shared Prosperity" (PDF).
• Read testimony on energy policy from Robert Baugh, executive director of the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council and co-chair of the AFL-CIO Energy Task Force, before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (PDF).
• Testimony of Robert C. Baugh, executive director of the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council and chair of AFL-CIO Energy Task Force, before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (PDF).
• Read AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard L. Trumka's testimony on China's impact on the U.S. auto and auto parts industries (PDF).
• Read April 2006 testimony by AFL-CIO Policy Director Thea Lee on China's workers' rights abuses (PDF).
• Read AFL-CIO IUC Executive Director Bob Baugh's testimony on the Chinese government's currency manipulation. 
• Testimony of Executive Director Baugh before special congressional hearing on impact of Wal-Mart’s imports from China.  

State Action Toolkit

• Read the IUC report Revitalizing American Manufacturing: A State and Local Strategy, 2005 (PDF).
• 2005 working families' state agenda.  
• Read a new IUC report on the impact of job exports on:
  • Chart/summary: State Job Loss, January 2001-May 2004 (PDF)
  • Minnesota's workers (PDF)
  • Ohio’s workers (PDF)
  • Pennsylvania's workers (PDF)
  • Washington State's workers (PDF)
  • Wisconsin's workers (PDF)

Legislative Info

• IUC fact sheet: Revitalizing American Manufacturing, 2005 (PDF)
• Fact sheet: Trade and Manufacturing Jobs (PDF)
• Fact sheet: Workers' Rights (PDF)
• Fact sheet: Health Retirement Security (PDF)
• Sample article for local union newsletters on manufacturing (PDF)

Related Links

• Agenda for a strong manufacturing base.
• More on the fight for global fairness.
• Exporting America—get the facts.
• Working America’s Job Tracker.
• Find out about the new film “American Jobs.”