Barrett urges labour to unite across borders

Former Premier of B.C. Dave Barrett made a passionate plea for unionists to use the economic power they hold to fight for workers rights across the Americas in his keynote speech to the AFL Convention, Thursday, May 4.

"We need to think smarter than they do," said Barrett. We need to organize."

Barrett called for a North American Federation of Trade Unions (NAFTU) to take on the corporate domination of North America. Barrett said a global response is necessary to fight globalization.

"Oil was placed in the ground by God, not by Imperial Oil. We need to remind them of that."

Barrett saw NAFTU as the method to counteract the power that corporations exercise with governments across the continents. He saw NAFTU use economic boycotts to utilize the "power in the workers’ pocketbooks".

"It’s great to have demonstrations. It’s great to have direct action, but nothing is like hitting corporations in their pocketbooks."

Barrett also urged the labour movement to stick with the NDP politically. "Drifting away would be a great loss to both parties … . We need to continue to work together, come out with new ideas and struggle side by side."