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. The IUC is 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.”