Local 6 Bayer steward, Christian Sledge, speaks with Michael Mersmann, of the IGBCE, the union that represents Bayer workers in Germany, about issues at the Bayer facility in Berkeley, CA.
Representatives of the ICEM (International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions) North America region met in San Francisco, CA on January 26-27th. In June 2010, at the ICEM North America region meeting, ILWU International Secretary Treasurer, Willie Adams, requested that the ILWU be allowed to host this meeting in San Francisco.
“Several important struggles going on right now fall under the ICEM jurisdiction— the upcoming negotiations for Local 6 workers at the Bayer pharmaceutical facility in Berkeley, CA, and negotiations for Local 20 Rio Tinto workers in July,” Adams said. “The ICEM agreed to help us with those struggles.”
The ICEM is a global federation of trade unions representing 467 industrial unions in 132 countries with member unions representing over 20 million workers worldwide. Global federations such as these allow unions to collaborate across borders and find solutions to common problems through global solidarity and cooperation.
The ICEM North America region meets twice a year. ICEM member unions represents workers employed in a wide range of industries, including energy, mining, chemicals and bioscience, pulp and paper, rubber, gems and jewelry, glass, ceramics, cement, environmental services and others. In recent years the ICEM has focused its efforts on the pharmaceutical industry.
Special guests included Manfred Warda ICEM General Secretary, Andrew Vickers, CFMEU (Australia),
Michael Mersmann, IGBCE (Germany) and Sergio Gonzales, National Union of General Tire Workers of Mexico (SNTGTM). The ICEM representatives met with several workers from the Bayer facility in Berkeley, CA over lunch to discuss issues and explore ways that cross-border solidarity could generate solutions to common problems.
Mike Diller, President of ILWU Local 20 was also on hand to discuss the upcoming contract negotiations that local will be having with global mining giant Rio Tinto later this year. ICEM representatives pledged their support to Local 20 to ensure that workers there get a fair contract.
A possible merger of the ICEM with the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) was also discussed at the meeting. Such a merger would create a global federation of over 45 million workers.
“We are dealing with global companies and we need global support,” Adams said. “By participating in these federations we are broadening our base. ILWU members in Local 6 and Local 20 who are getting ready to go into negotiations with these multi-national companies know they aren’t alone.”