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Labor Union

Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA)

Website:

csa-csi.org/
Headquarters:

Calle Buenos Aires, 404/406
Location:

Montevideo, Uruguay
Status:

Labor Union
Formation:

2008
Type:

International Labor Union Organization
President:

Fred Redmond

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Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA) (in Spanish, Confederación Sindical de Trabajadores De Las Americas or CSA) is a regional confederation of labor unions within the global International Trade Union Confederation. 1

TUCA works to influence the United Nations and other agencies advance left-of-center environmentalist and critical race theory-influenced social justice goals. 2 TUCA also supports the critical race theory-influenced concepts of systemic racial injustice and gender equity. 3 As a self-identified “socio-political movement,” 4 TUCA supports consolidation in the Americas to move towards “truth, memory, justice, and reparation” for crimes against trade unionists.” 5

AFL-CIO labor union secretary-treasurer and executive vice president Fred Redmond is TUCA’s president. 6 7

History and Leadership

Trade Union Confederation of Americas (TUCA) was founded in Panama City, Panama, in March 2008. 8 At the time of its founding, TUCA consisted of 68 affiliated organizations that claimed a membership of more than 60 million workers from 26 countries in North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean. 9

Fred Redmond is the President of TUCA. 10 Redmond is also the secretary-treasurer and executive vice president of the AFL-CIO labor union 11 and was elected to chair the federation’s Task Force on Racial Justice in 2020. 12 Previously, Redmond was the vice president of international human affairs for the United Steelworkers (USW) union. In 2016, Redmond was appointed to then-Gov. Tom Wolf (D-PA)’s Advisory Commission on Black Affairs. Redmond has also been chair of the board of directors of the left-of-center A. Philip Randolph Institute and a board member of left-of-center Working America, TransAfrica Forum, Workers Defense League, National Endowment for Democracy, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, and Interfaith Worker Justice. 13

In 2019, TUCA moved its headquarters to Montevideo, Uruguay. 14 It maintains resident representatives in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 15

Activities and Funding

Trade Union Confederation of Americas (TUCA) is a regional organization of the global International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which works closely with the United Nations (UN) agency International Labor Organization, the European Union, 16 the Global Unions Federations,  and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and other UN specialized agencies. 17

TUCA works to influence the United Nations and other agencies to help them reach left-of-center environmentalist social development and critical race theory-influence social justice goals. 18 The organization also participates in the Inter-American Trade Union Institute for Racial Equality (INSPIR) and affiliated organizations to support critical race theory-influenced racial justice work in unions. 19

As of November, TUCA is affiliated with 48 national organizations in 21 different countries, representing approximately 55 million workers 20 in Argentina, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the United States, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. 21 At the regional level, TUCA has participated at the Organization of American States in dialogue between member states and representatives from labor unions. 22

TUCA has eight global union syndicates including International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF), ITF, Industrial Global Union, BWI, PSI, and FIP IFJ. 23  TUCA also has a Youth Committee (CJTA). 24

TUCA also supports building alliances with social and political movements to create an “alternative agenda” for development in the Americas. TUCA makes alliances with other movements and organizations to oppose free trade, counteract corporate greed, and influence regional institutions and promote integration from what it calls the “conservative and regressive agenda.” 25 TUCA is in cooperation with several left-of-center social movements to advance these objectives including “Dismantle Corporate Power.” 26

TUCA advocates for worker solidarity; political, social labor, and economic democracy; economic, social, labor, and economic democracy; economic, social, and cultural integration and solidarity of the nations of the region; and the critical race theory-influenced concept of gender equity. 27

The organization also aims to promote what it considers human rights, trade union and labor rights, the critical race theory-influenced concept of gender equity at all levels of the labor union movement, and improve working conditions and quality of life for those affiliated with TUCA. At the political level, TUCA supports the critical race theory-influenced concept of social justice, popular sovereignty the social rule of law as a pillar for democratic development, and environmental protection. 28

TUCA convenes a congress every four years to address regional issues in the Americas. At its fourth congress in November 2020, 29 TUCA declared that neo-liberal globalization makes the free market prevail over free people, their human development, and sustainability of economic equilibrium. TUCA also said that the international order is a major obstacle to the sovereign development of the nations of the region due to ties of subordination and dependence, criticizing the neo-liberal agenda of governments and major powers as replicating that of multinational corporations. The congress also said that these powers result to subjecting populations, cultures, and countries and war to secure economic, geopolitical, and military interests when trade negotiations do not work. 30

TUCA identifies itself as a “socio-political movement” that is committed to articulating society with democracy and the critical race theory-influenced concept of social justice. 31 TUCA also identifies union rights as human rights and supports easier access to abortion. The organization also supports the critical race theory-influenced concept of racial justice through collective bargaining in unions and the critical race theory-influenced concept of gender equity. 32

TUCA also demands the closure of the U.S.-operated detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, rejects the concept of foreign military bases, and supports consolidation in the Americas to move towards “truth, memory, justice, and reparation” for crimes against trade unionists.” 33

TUCA has been a part of the left-of-center Continental Day for Democracy and Against Neoliberalism since its inception. The event works to collectivize efforts in the hemisphere. This event was created in 2015 in Havana, Cuba, after the defeat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement and includes participation for organizations including World March of Women, Latin American Coordination of Rural Organizations, Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power, environmentalist Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC), and other union, feminist, environmentalist, and “anti-imperialist” movements. 34

Funding

Trade Union Confederation of Americas receives its funding from union dues from its member organizations based on the size of their respective membership. TUCA also receives funding from voluntary contributions of related affiliates, individuals, and other legal entities. 35

References

  1. “About Us.” International Trade Union Confederation. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.ituc-csi.org/about-us
  2. “4th Congress of TUCA.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 28, 2022. Pg. 23. https://csa-csi.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/declaracio%CC%81n_INGLES_-COLOR.pdf.
  3. “Lines of Action.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 27, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/paz-democracia-y-derechos-humanos/.
  4. “4th Congress of TUCA.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 28, 2022. Pg. 9. https://csa-csi.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/declaracio%CC%81n_INGLES_-COLOR.pdf.
  5. “Lines of Action.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 27, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/paz-democracia-y-derechos-humanos/.
  6. “Secretariat.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/secretariado/.
  7. Kenneth Quinnell and Aaron Gallant. “Service + Solidarity Spotlight: TUCA President Fred Redmond Leads on Organizing at Global Convening.” AFL-CIO. April 21, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://aflcio.org/2022/4/21/service-solidarity-spotlight-tuca-president-fred-redmond-leads-organizing-global.
  8. “About Us.” Tarde Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/quienes-somos/.
  9.  “Americas: New Unified ITUC Regional Organisation Founded.” International Trade Union Confederation. March 31, 2008. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.ituc-csi.org/americas-new-unified-ituc-regional.
  10. “Secretariat.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/secretariado/.
  11. Kenneth Quinnell and Aaron Gallant. “Service + Solidarity Spotlight: TUCA President Fred Redmond Leads on Organizing at Global Convening.” AFL-CIO. April 21, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://aflcio.org/2022/4/21/service-solidarity-spotlight-tuca-president-fred-redmond-leads-organizing-global.
  12. “Secretariat.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/secretariado/.
  13. “Secretariat.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/secretariado/.
  14. “International Trade Union Confederation Agenda Item 15.” International Trade Union Confederation Meetting. October 15-17, 2019. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/21gc_e_15_b_-_informe_csa_-_csi._frontlines_2019_en.pdf.
  15. “Confederación Sindical de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de las Américas (CSA).” Global Civil Society Database. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://uia.org/s/or/en/1100019442.
  16. “Trade Union Network for Development Cooperation.” Trade Union Confederation of Workers of the Americas. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/red-sindical-de-cooperacion-al-desarrollo/.
  17. “About Us.” International Trade Union Confederation. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.ituc-csi.org/about-us.
  18. [1] “4th Congress of TUCA.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 28, 2022. Pg. 23. https://csa-csi.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/declaracio%CC%81n_INGLES_-COLOR.pdf.
  19. “Lines of Action.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 27, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/paz-democracia-y-derechos-humanos/.
  20. “About Us.” The Union Confederation of Workers of the Americas (CSA). Accessed November 27, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/quienes-somos/.
  21. “Affiliates.” Trade Union Confederation of America. Accessed November 27, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/afiliadas/.
  22. “Dialogue between Heads of Delegation and Workers’ Representatives from Member States.” Organization of American States. June 6, 2010. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.oas.org/en/sedi/dhdee/labor_and_employment/pages/cpo_trab_40ag.asp.
  23. “Global Unions.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas.” Accessed November 28, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/sindicatos-globales/.
  24. “Our Voices edition 5: A living union movement that is transformed and strengthened.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. December 1, 2021. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/2021/12/01/nuestras-voces-edicion-5-un-movimiento-sindical-vivo-que-se-transforma-y-fortalece/
  25. “Lines of Action.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 27, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/paz-democracia-y-derechos-humanos/.
  26. “Social Movements.” Trade Union Network for Development Cooperation. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/movimientos-sociales/.
  27. “About Us.” The Union Confederation of Workers of the Americas (CSA). Accessed November 27, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/quienes-somos/.
  28. “Confederación Sindical de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de las Américas (CSA).” Global Civil Society Database. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://uia.org/s/or/en/1100019442.
  29. “Situation and perspectives of trade union organizations: inputs of the process of strengthening and transformation of trade unions to organize and represent the entire working class.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. November 2020. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/TUCA_Continental-Conference_BASE-DOCUMENT_november2020_English.pdf.
  30. “4th Congress of TUCA.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 28, 2022. Pg. 8. https://csa-csi.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/declaracio%CC%81n_INGLES_-COLOR.pdf.
  31. “4th Congress of TUCA.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 28, 2022. Pg. 9. https://csa-csi.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/declaracio%CC%81n_INGLES_-COLOR.pdf.
  32. “Lines of Action.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 27, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/paz-democracia-y-derechos-humanos/.
  33. “Lines of Action.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 27, 2022. https://csa-csi.org/paz-democracia-y-derechos-humanos/.
  34. “The 2017 Continental Day for Democracy and Against Neoliberalism.” Friends of the Earth International. April 3, 2018. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.foei.org/the-2017-continental-day-for-democracy-and-against-neoliberalism/
  35. “4th Congress of TUCA.” Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Accessed November 28, 2022. Pg. 46. https://csa-csi.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/declaracio%CC%81n_INGLES_-COLOR.pdf.
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