August 10, 2026

Press Release – OFFICIAL STATEMENT

In solidarity with our sister nation and working youth of Colombia:

The Latin American and Caribbean Youth of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) express our deep solidarity and fraternity with the Colombian people, its youth and its workers, following the recent earthquake that affected our sister nation of Colombia on the morning of Monday, August 10, 2026.

We, the youth union members of the region, are closely monitoring the situation and extend our deepest condolences to the affected families. In the face of natural disasters, the unity and solidarity of the working class are our most powerful tools.

We reaffirm our historic commitment to struggle and brotherhood. In times of greatest difficulty, the unity of the working-class and popular youth of Latin America and the Caribbean is the fundamental pillar for rebuilding and sustaining the hope of our peoples.

Onward, Colombian brothers and sisters!

Long live Latin American youth!

Long live the World Federation of Trade Unions!

Long live Organized Peoples!

Sincerely,

Commission of Working Youth of Latin America and the Caribbean

For the sovereignty and dignity of the peoples.

Our voice is strong, our strength is throughout Latin America!

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The post World Labor Supports Colombian People appeared first on Labor Today.

The silver mines in Real de Monte had dangerous conditions, with workers using mercury and hazardous materials to mine resources, while in return received low pay.

European workers (“white” by United States demographic standards), Mestizo (“Mixed-race”) and Native Americans made up the majority of the workers, while a small contingent of enslaved African heritage workers were also present at the mines.

From August 1st, 1766, to August 15, 1766, workers filed grievances to the Spanish viceroy. A work stoppage happened at this time. In response, the Spanish colonial government sent 300 soldiers to end the strike and force workers back to work. The strike was broken by the Spanish government, and the mines were reduced in scale by 1767. British leadership later took over operation of the mines.

Workers in Mexico celebrated this strike last week, also stating:

Yesterday, we commemorated the 260th anniversary of the first strike in Latin America, led by the brave miners of Real del Monte in Hidalgo.

Today, more than ever, we must keep their legacy alive within our miners’ union, “Los Mineros,” as we continue to fight—with strength, unity, and solidarity—for the rights, dignity, and justice of miners and the entire working class.

Long live the miners of Mexico!
Long live the workers’ struggle!
Long live dignity and labor justice!

The post First Workers Strike in North America Commemorated first appeared on Labor Today.

The post First Workers Strike in North America Commemorated appeared first on Labor Today.

Amber Longo not only took part in the historic May Day event but also joined an internship with the Workers Central Union of Cuba (CTC). She highlighted three main takeaways that the Cuban people wanted to share with her and the world. ​

Point 1 – Education 

During the internship, Londo took part in roleplaying exercises that she found valuable. “The instructors would put us in these sophisticated role-playing sessions for workplace scenarios. They would give us roles with different individual needs and desires for a workplace setting. In order to learn how to cooperate with the other roleplayed co-workers, through compromising, we had to learn what our own role was willing to give up.” ​
Workers in Cuba have the right to training and can use two weeks of their annual leave for daytime education of their choice. Higher education keeps producing skilled, well-prepared workers. There is a strong focus on science, education and knowledge among Cuban workers. 
Longo spoke not only as a labor unionist but also as a scientist. “We got to hear from someone from The Cuban Institute for Molecular Immunology.” She explained that she left her academic work for moral reasons. As a scientist in the United States, her work could be used for war or profit. She described how, in Cuba, scientific institutions focus on creating medicines to help people, not for war or profit. “If I had been doing science in Cuba, I would not have left the field of science,” Longo said, her voice full of emotion. ​ 

Point 2 – Unity 

Londo said the roleplaying sessions showed an important lesson from the Cuban trade unionists: “No one is going to get everything that they wanted, but if you participate in this struggle, we will all have a better outcome.” Trade union participation is a key part of Cuba’s democracy, making sure that the everyday members’ workplace struggles are included in how the government works. ​ 

The Workers’ Center of Cuba has been the country’s main trade union federation since 1939. Today, the CTC unites 15 sectoral unions that organize over 80,000 workplace branches. These unions work at municipal, provincial, and industrial levels. They are funded by members’ dues, usually based on earnings. Each union elects committees at the municipal, provincial, and national levels. 

Having trade unions represented at all levels of government helps Cubans stay resilient. For example, Longo mentioned that solar panels are provided for prenatal care for women. This support came about because women raised their concerns at work, and these issues were brought to the government by delegates elected through the CTC. 

The CTC’s role in both the workplace and government shows this unity. “The CTC’s job is to act as a representative of the workers in opposition but not antagonistically to the government,” Longo says. The strength of having one union helps keep everyone united. Longo shared that during their roleplay sessions, they were asked, “What are you willing to give up to maintain unity… As a working class movement our power comes from numbers and from unity.” ​ 

Point 3 – Adapting to the Changing Workplace 

For most of the 67 years since its Revolution, Cubans have lived under American embargoes. The Cuban people are used to making sacrifices to protect their way of life. Their dedication to their country helps them adapt and find new solutions. ​ 

Cuba’s creativity and determination have helped them survive tough times. They use solar panels and electric motorcycles. Doctors keep working to save lives, especially newborns. Cuban researchers are working hard to dilute the country’s heavy oil, which is hard to refine, especially since they cannot import what they need. 
The Cuban people’s resilience and commitment to defending their country during the Trump regime’s six-month-old embargo continues to show their strength. Imagine if the U.S. had to go six months with almost no oil.

“There is a lot the American labor movement can learn from its fellow Cuban trade unionists.” Longo’s message is important for U.S. workplaces. American workers are working longer hours and facing tougher conditions as prices rise, making life harder. Unionization is growing in the U.S., but the Amazon model is spreading worldwide. “Gig work is here. It is causing destruction to unions… Now we have the AI revolution and giga-fication. Our current union structure is not creative enough to overcome. If anyone has the experience to come to those collective creative solutions, it is the people of Cuba.” Longo ended her talk by saying, “We need their knowledge to fight our demons. So it’s important for us to show solidarity with [Cuba] but also to learn from them.” ​ 

“Do the Work in Our Unions” ​ 

Longo ended her talk by saying, “There is a lot to do [to help Cuba]. But the most important thing to do is do the work in your unions. You can also sign a petition Cuba is not Alone and use that as an organizing tool. This is the same petition that the Cuban people signed and sent to Raúl Castro. “If you are doing the individual organizing work with people, you can connect why you should support Cuba [to your co-workers.]”

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The post Cuban Labor Mobilizes Against Invasion Part 2 appeared first on Labor Today.

Longo said the big turnout at the rallies was expected. She highlighted the strong sense of working-class identity among Cubans that contributed to the turnout. “As an Amazon worker, I saw that it was like they were negotiating with their oppressor, as if we as unionists negotiate with our employer.” Longo also spoke about the “My Signature for the Homeland” petition, launched nationwide to defend Cuba. The petition denounces the U.S. blockade, energy restrictions, and threats of war, and it reaffirms the Cuban people’s right and duty to protect their national sovereignty. Over 6.2 million Cubans over the age of 16 signed the petition, which is more than 80% of the population in that age group. The petition was given to Raúl Castro to show solidarity.

Cuban law allows workers to form and join trade unions, and at least 90% of Cuban workers belong to a union. In contrast, only about 10% of American workers are union members.Longo said this strong labor-orientated organization helps Cubans link their workplace struggles to their broader fight against U.S. oppression.

Longo, as a trade unionist, saw firsthand how strong the Cuban labor movement is in facing the U.S. economic blockade. The Cuban people do not want war, but they are prepared to defend their country.

One can add their signature in support for Cuba at: https://www.firmoporcuba.com. By Jerry Ginsburg

The post Cuban Labor Mobilizes Against Invasion Part 1 first appeared on Labor Today.

The post Cuban Labor Mobilizes Against Invasion Part 1 appeared first on Labor Today.

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On January 23, 2026, in negative temperatures, thousands of Minnesotans turned out in Minneapolis for a strike to protest the current administration’s policies. Multiple businesses across the city and state were also shut down in solidarity with the protests. At the same time of the protests downtown, another protest broke out at the Minneapolis-St Paul (MSP) airport as airport workers and clergy shut down the airport for a time to protest in solidarity. Over 100 clergy members were arrested.

On January 15, 2026, the Minnesota Regional Labor Council endorsed the action, calling it, “A Day of Truth and Freedom”. This was significant as the Minnesota Regional Labor Federal is composed of over 175 unions with 80,000+ members. The Minnesota AFL-CIO followed suit in endorsement. Many local unions did not call this action a “strike” though citing contracts that forbid striking. Many on the street called it a general strike and brought up parallels to the 1934 General Strike in Minneapolis.

The buildup to this was long time in coming. Since last year, federal agents had been conducting raids and harassing workers. On January 17, 2026, agents shot legal observer Renee Good as she was driving away. Federal agents had begun targeting ethnic communities around the country. As of writing of this article, on January 24, 2026, federal agents have shot another legal observer on the street that was being held down by multiple agents.

Other cities followed suit to the strike on Friday, with solidarity strikes and protests in Philadelphia, New York, Oakland, and other cities. The strikes appear to have the form of a pre-democratic labor front that is necessary to combat fascism and monopoly capitalism.

Even with the overwhelming support for the strike, some business union leaders pushed against it. There were reports of a local Teamsters union distributing flyers stating anyone who joined in the strike would be in breach of contract. Large businesses that have contracts and cooperate with the federal government, like Target, 3M, Best Buy, and Delta Airlines have stated nothing on the strike. The silence of the corporations echoes more loudly with Target stores being used as staging ground for ICE raids even as one Target made national news on January 13, 2026, when ICE kidnapped two workers from a Roseville, MN Target store.

LUEL is closing following this developing situation. LUEL calls on labor to unite with progressive groups and other civic groups to build an anti-monopoly coalition. Only then can labor develop into a fighting force that can combat the rising fascism brought on monopoly capitalism.

The post Minnesota Labor Walks Out in Mass Strike! first appeared on Labor Today.

The post Minnesota Labor Walks Out in Mass Strike! appeared first on Labor Today.

We remember with horror US President James Monroe’s doctrine which declared that South America was the domain of the United States. The US government’s decision was done without the consent of any other South American government. Recently, President Trump’s America has repeatedly used this doctrine to justify foreign invasions, coups, piracy, and assassinations across the western hemisphere. The US has toppled democratic left governments in Peru, Chile, and Bolivia, and installed puppet right wing dictators. As during the period of the Monroe Doctrine these installed dictators served the interest of US multi-national corporations; crushing unions, restricting labor laws, and denying basic human rights to their people.

As international trade unionists we remember the example of the 1954 US military intervention in Guatemala where the democratically elected government of Jacobo Arbenz was overthrown in a CIA coup to protect the interests of the United Fruit Company of America.

Today it is Venezuela who faces the guns of the US Empire, if we do not unite in international solidarity, it may be us tomorrow. An injury to one is an injury to all.

In conclusion, Labor United Educational League calls upon all trade unions, progressive organizations, and peace-loving people across the globe to stand unequivocally in solidarity with the Venezuelan people. Our solidarity must be active and material: we demand the immediate and unconditional release of President Nicolas Maduro, an end to the economic sanctions against Venezuela and the return of all confiscated oil tankers to the Bolivarian government of Venezuela. No more coups, no more invasions, no more kidnappings, no blood for oil for US corporations. Hands Off Venezuela!

The post Labor United Educational League Denounces the Kidnapping of Maduro first appeared on Labor Today.

The post Labor United Educational League Denounces the Kidnapping of Maduro appeared first on Labor Today.

We earnestly request that all organizations worldwide—political, social, labor, governmental, and the general public—publicly and categorically reject the military aggression we suffered in the early hours of today, January 3, 2026, at the hands of the United States. We remain steadfast in our struggle; we will not rest until we overcome this abhorrent threat of foreign invasion. The people of Bolívar and Chávez remain steadfast in their struggle; we will not surrender or give in.

This attack only confirms what we have been denouncing to the world: this is not a fight against drug trafficking or terrorism; it is the most pestilent greed of a decadent empire desperately seeking to maintain its dying hegemony, its fangs drooling as it tries to deliver the final blow by seizing our strategic natural and energy resources, which we will defend with our very lives if necessary. At this hour (11:30 am) on January 3, 2026, our homeland is calm; however, we are organizing and preparing to face any event of this nature that may occur in the coming hours, days, weeks, etc. We expect your solidarity, mobilization, and international support so that, with renewed determination, we can continue fighting the most genocidal empire in the history of humankind.

Remember, today it is us, tomorrow it could be any other nation on the planet. In light of the foregoing, we categorically and unequivocally reiterate our support for the Revolutionary Socialist Government, led by the Constitutional President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Worker Commander, Nicolás Maduro Moros.

UNITED WE WILL WIN.
ONWARD TO VICTORY, ALWAYS.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BOLIVARIAN NATIONAL UNION OF POSTAL WORKERS OF VENEZUELA (SINBTRAPOSTAL-VENEZUELA).

The post Statement from the Bolivarian National Union of Postal Workers of Venezuela on US Attacks on Venezuelan Sovereignty first appeared on Labor Today.

The post Statement from the Bolivarian National Union of Postal Workers of Venezuela on US Attacks on Venezuelan Sovereignty appeared first on Labor Today.

Safety, dignity and equality for all women”

On 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) renews its struggle for a world free from violence, exploitation and war, recalling that in 2025 we will also celebrate 80 years of international trade union commitment alongside workers around the world.

Violence against women is never an individual or private matter. It is rooted in the power structures of capitalism, economic and social inequalities, patriarchal culture and the militarisation of territories. Wars, occupations and armed conflicts disproportionately affect women, increasing poverty, instability and insecurity. Similarly, economic exploitation, low wages, precarious work, lack of rights and the reduction of public services fuel violence and discrimination.

The WFTU fights for a world where women’s dignity and safety are top priorities, where work is safe and fairly paid, where every woman can live free from violence and fear. On this day, we remember in particular the situation in Palestine, where women today are suffering genocide and have been suffering the consequences of war, occupation and Israel’s policies of oppression for 77 years.

Trade union organisations affiliated to the WFTU have always maintained that the fight against violence against women is closely linked to the fight for workers’ rights, decent wages, safe housing, public education, healthcare and accessible social services. No woman can be free without access to economic resources, social protection and freedom from war and systemic violence.

On this day, the WFTU reaffirms:

• The need for effective legislation against all forms of violence, discrimination and exploitation;
• The right of women to safe work, decent wages and equal opportunities;
• The fight against imperialist wars and all forms of occupation;
• The right to education, contraception, social spaces and free public services, which are fundamental tools for women’s autonomy and protection;
• The need to combat patriarchy and the culture of violence, including through trade union campaigns, information campaigns and concrete actions on the ground.

The WFTU and its affiliates call on all trade unions and workers to mobilise, build international solidarity and support concrete actions against violence against women, predatory capitalism, exploitation and wars. Only collective struggle and the participation of workers can create a world where safety, dignity, equality and freedom are a reality for all women.

80 years of international trade union struggle.

Stop violence against women. Stop exploitation and war. Freedom and justice for Palestine.    Safety, dignity and equality for all women!

The post WFTU Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women first appeared on Labor Today.

The post WFTU Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women appeared first on Labor Today.

209 years after that date, the working people continue to fight for their definitive independence, in a context of the advance of capital that seeks a society without freedom or rights for workers. In this sense, the government headed by President Javier Milei is carrying out disastrous policies that go in the direction historically defined by the enemies of the people. However, the multiplicity of sectors across the country, including retirees, who are confronting their reactionary initiatives are a clear example that the people, as in those days, are willing to wage whatever battles are necessary to thwart the anti-popular and quisling attempts of the government and its allies, while also building a just and democratic society.

In this regard, from the National Coordinating Board of Retiree and Pensioner Organizations, we urge grassroots organizations to converge in common actions with a united attitude to achieve our objectives.

“THE ONLY BATTLE YOU LOSE IS THE ONE YOU ABANDON”
Argentina, July 7, 2025

The post ARGENTINA: Wednesday Retiree Update first appeared on Labor Today.

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