Independent Workers Union visits the States

national | worker & community struggles and protests | news report Tuesday April 22, 2008 14:38 by IWU - Independent Workers Union

Tyrone woman Patricia Campbell, President of the Independent Workers Union, attended her second Labor Notes Conference in Detroit, Michigan during a two week long trip to the United States

Patricia Campbell (left) with other international delegates

Tyrone woman Patricia Campbell, President of the Independent Workers Union, attended her second Labor Notes Conference in Detroit, Michigan during a two week long trip to the United States. The Labor Notes conference was attended by over 1200 activists. This was the third international labor gathering Ms. Campbell has attended as President of the IWU.

Patricia is a co-founder of the International Health Workers for People Over Profit with Canadian author, physician and activist Susan Rosenthal. The group is made up of nurses, doctors, therapists and health care workers in general. This important and historic development has been made possible by organizing internationally, meeting other health care workers from across the globe and finding common problems. Patricia urges all health care workers to join forces with this group and make our goals a reality - 'health before profit' and 'health care not warfare.’

Patricia addressed an international reception of delegates from all over the world with Vietnamese and Brazilian trade union activists. She told the reception about the work of the IWU and the need to bypass bursary and corporatism in the trade union movement. She participated in and contributed to many workshops during the course of the conference.

During her trip Ms. Campbell gave a radio interview with celebrated folk singer Anne Feeney in Jacksonville, Florida as well as numerous meetings with activists and campaigners. President Campbell remarked that “as the membership of the IWU continues to grow the work of the IWU will continue to grow. In this international economy workers must also organize internationally for their interests. My trip to the United States and the Labor Notes Conference continued to develop the collaboration and solidarity of the IWU with like minded activists in the international labor movement. It was a great success.”