Irish and US trade unions sign historic agreement

An Irish trade union has signed a historic agreement with one of America’s largest unions that will lead to training for Irish workers in additional skills that will help them secure new employment prospects.

In the first arrangement of its kind, the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) signed a federation agreement with the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices, which represents 370,000 craft workers in the US, Canada and Australia.

Under the agreement, the TEEU will bring US trainers to Ireland to teach workers new skills under a "train the trainers" programme.

US labour secretary Thomas Perez and Richard Trumka, president of the powerful AFL-CIO, America's largest labour union, witnessed the signing of the agreement at the Irish Embassy in Washington at an event hosted by Irish Ambassador to the US Anne Anderson.

‘No Irish’

Mr Perez, a member of president Barack Obama's cabinet, referred to a sign he once saw in the office of Senator Edward Kennedy, which said "No Irish Need Apply". He said he understood the struggle of Irish workers in the US and praised the Irish for the growth in the economy.

“I feel that both of our nations have the wind at our back and we are moving in the right direction and working on the goal of making sure that we have share prosperity,” he said.

Mr Perez spoke about the critical role of apprenticeships as a route to prosperity for the lower and middle classes, echoing Mr Obama’s recent words in his State of the Union address. He told the union leaders that they “wrote the book” on apprenticeship.

“I refer to it as the other college except without the debt because it is a real pathway to the middle class,” he said.

The US could learn from Ireland on how to increase the level of trade union membership in the private sector, he said.

Eamon Devoy, general secretary of the TEEU who signed the agreement on behalf of the union, said that it was important for workers to be retrained to meet the demands of new technologies.

He noted a recent example of work carried out at chipmaker Intel in Co Kildare, where contractors from Germany were hired, employing subcontractors from Poland, to carry out specialised work.

“Our guys had to stand back and watch or just be laid off,” he said, pointing to the skills workers could learn under the new agreement.

Trade agreement

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Mr Trumka raised concerns about the negotiations around a trade agreement between the US and the EU, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which aims to eliminate tariff barriers between the two economic blocs.

In his State of the Union address, Mr Obama asked Congress for the authority to sign trade deals with Europe and Asia. The agreements are supported by Republicans but they have received a cautious response from fellow Democrats, who have the backing of the labour movement.

Mr Trumka warned against the negotiations being based around the 1994 North Amercian Free Trade Agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico, arguing that a similar deal with the EU would lower the standard of living as well as labour, health and environmental standards.

“This is a chance for us to negotiate an agreement that really does lift everybody up,” he told The Irish Times.

“We are going to stand united to make sure that when it is completed this agreement doesn’t disadvantage one group of people and pit them against another group of workers but rather has both working together.”

Mr Devoy warned against corporations being given the powers to dictate to elected governments the terms of the trade agreement.

The Irish Government along with European leaders and businesses are pushing for the free-trade agreement to be concluded, touting the deal's economic benefits and prospects of creating more employment.

Opponents argue that the agreement could allow US companies challenge EU food and environmental laws affecting the 28 member countries. The next round of negotiations commence next month.