News

On behalf of UNI Global Union and our affiliates around the world, I send you our congratulations on the brilliant election victory of Barack Obama. Unions everywhere have been sending in messages expressing their joy at this historic election result.



Congratulations to the American labor movement, to each of our US affiliates and to every one of your members who worked so hard to mobilize millions of voters to change the destiny of your nation.



We are faced with the most difficult of global economic circumstances, yet the election of a new US Administration gives us the opportunity to work together to find ways to build a better world.



We will get down to work already next week in Washington DC, when I will be part of the Global Union delegation to the G 20 Summit, which is being convened to address the global financial crisis.



The Global Union delegation will also meet with representatives of the new Obama transition team to exchange ideas on how to build a new, more responsible globalization.



We look forward to the new Administration working closely with the US labor movement to build a new America in which workers will have a fair chance to join a union and win a decent contract.



As the currents of change blow through American political life, the time has also come for all employers – local and multinational – in the USA to play their part in building a new era of positive labor relations.



During our UNI Global Union Congress in Chicago in 2005, our US affiliates promised to change America with the rallying cry “YES WE CAN!”



Well three years on, we can say “YES YOU DID!”



Congratulations to all of you. We look forward to working with you to grow unions and social justice everywhere.



Philip J. Jennings

General Secretary

UNI Global Union