American companies that produce everything from televisions to cordless drills have been abandoning our shores for decades. A couple of months ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that another 44,000 American manufacturing jobs had disappeared, bringing to 3 million the number of such jobs that have evaporated into the global economy since 2001. The Airline Industry has also experienced highly skilled jobs being shipped overseas.

Imports have increased by 338 percent since 1974 – the year the Consumer Product Safety Commission was created. Yet today, that agency’s federal budget is less than half what it was in that year. With those kinds of numbers, it’s not so hard to understand what millions of toys coated with lead-based paint -- manufactured in China – were dumped on the American market and are now being recalled.

But that’s only one symptom of the fallout on America from globalization. The current troubling slump in the housing market, the credit crisis, and the plunging value of American currency around the world are issues that are getting more attention than tainted toys, but are no doubt byproducts of the new global marketplace.

Earlier this month, the AFL-CIO sponsored an important event that we participated in at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, MD that got little or no notice in the press. The event – called the Global Organizing Summit -- drew upwards of 220 union leaders from 63 countries from around the world. It was the first such event of this scope ever held.

The meeting shined a light on numerous problems caused by globalization that all agreed has wrought a system where work continues to be degraded and workers are more and more vulnerable to abuse. Also, that globalization has created an ever-widening wealth gap among countries and within countries, and has failed to reduce poverty in third world nations.

The delegates further concurred that global trade agreements inadequately address labor standards and protections, and directly contribute to the trafficking of migrant workers, forced labor, debt bondage, child labor and other slavery-like practices.

The solution to all these ills is a simple one on paper, but not so simple in reality, and that is unionization to give workers, whether here in the U.S. or in some faraway toy plant in China, the opportunity to improve their status though collective bargaining. Obviously, easier said than done.

As an organization, we have already broadened our agenda to better protect TWU members by greater participation in these international forums. As reported in last edition of the Express, we formed a solid relationship with our counterparts in mass transit in England, and next month, we will strengthen those bonds and try to form new ones at a similar meeting in the Netherlands which will focus on urban mass transit. We further plan to fortify our alliances with our brother and sister unionists in the airline industry. Last month in discussions with President Jim Hoffa, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) we agreed to form an “Aircraft Maintenance Coalition” to tackle outsourcing and other related AMT issues. We are also in the process of establishing some joint Transit organizing with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU).

Although, in 2008 we are committed to our expanded program of organizing to bring unionization to workers who need it and want it. We are also committed along with our Locals to secure improved collective bargaining agreements for our current members.

The great American lawyer and civil libertarian Clarence Darrow once said: “With all their faults, trade unions have done more for humanity than any other organization of men that ever existed. They have done more for decency, for honesty, for education, for the betterment of the race, for the developing of character in man, than any other association of men.”

He said that more than 70 years ago. It remains true today, as labor faces yet another great challenge on an ever-expanding stage.