AFL-CIO Statement on Worker Rights in Venezuela

[Tim Shorrock]

Well put, Dennis, but this Labor Notes article you cite is one of the
shoddiest pieces of journalism to come around the labor pike in a long time.
Based on a second-hand allegation from "one union member" who claims that
CTV members at a DC meeting "noted that they were here to discuss the
chances for a coup in Venezuela," Labor Notes creates a headline about
"Concerns Over Possible AFL-CIO Involvement in Venezuela Coup." That's quite
a leap. If LN was so sure of this piece of the story, why bury it so deep?
This kind of reporting by innuendo only damages the cause of people trying
to dig up the truth on labor's international ops.

That said, its about time the AFL-CIO tells us how they coordinate their
NED-funded work in Venezuela with NED and its other grantees. After all, NED
's sole purpose is to shore up opposition movements in countries with
governments opposed by the US. If the AFL is trying to help other unions,
why do it through NED? Why not union to union?

TS


>>Dennis Robert Redmond wrote:
The AFL-CIO statement noted that union elections conducted by secret
ballot weren't held until 2001, so it's clear that there's more to the
story than this. The union old guard were most likely as corrupt and
elitist as the rest of Venezuela's deeply polarized society, so I suspect
a messy, complicated factional struggle ensued, rather than a heroic
resistance project by Pure Noble Unionistas against the evil Castro-loving
Chavez (this is what I gather from Katherine Hoyt's article at
http://www.labornotes.org/archives/2002/05/b.html).


>>Concerns Over Possible AFL-CIO Involvement in Venezuela Coup Led to
February Picket
by Katherine Hoyt  May 2002

"The forum was part of a tour funded by NED, and included meetings with
several AFL-CIO leaders. According to one union member who participated in
the meetings, the CTV representatives noted that they were here to discuss
the chances for a coup in Venezuela."