INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

The fact is that international economics and politics affects us in very concrete ways, and therefore we must be concerned:

• If unions are smashed in other countries and this provides a pool of cheap labour that appeals to corporations but threatens our jobs, we cannot ignore the implications.

• If other workers have made breakthroughs, such as on reduced work time or input into technology or limits on plant closures, we are obviously interested.

• If nuclear war is an increasing danger, we must do everything we can to prevent it.

Contact with other countries and with workers in these countries is critical to finding out firsthand about what is going on in the world. Only then can we learn from others, and find out what we can do to support their struggles, because they are fighting for the same basic things we believe in, whether or not there is a direct impact on us.

And international peace, ensuring our planet survives, is quite obviously fundamental to everything else. As someone said, the threat of nuclear annihilation is too important to be left to the generals. We must all be involved to make sure it doesn't happen.

"We'll continue to build a strong base within our union to
lead struggles to defend and support working people. We'll continue
to forge important ties with groups outside our union. We'll be there
when there are international calls for solidarity. We'll be there to fight
for change, for dignity, for freedom, for social justice, for equality,
for peace. And we will continue to organize and mobilize towards a
world in which we, as working people, won't be subordinate to the
powerful but can rely on our own expertise, control our own lives,
establish our own priorities, unlock our potentials and capacities,
and construct our own dreams."

Robert White
President, CAW Canada

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