American Institute for Free Labor Development

AIFLD training will focus on three areas: (1) the precepts and practices of trade unions; (2) economic and social problems in an era of a global economy and regional integration and development; and (3) increased labor participation in democratic processes and the strengthening of its institutions. The training program will follow the proven AIFLD format, i.e., basic courses and advanced seminars in the field, and top-level programs at the George Meany Center for Labor Studies in Silver Spring, MD. For the Meany Center program, AIFLD will upgrade both the participant selection process and the follow-up system. To improve selection, AIFLD"s Education Department will establish closer links between in-country training programs and the Center"s program of preparatory courses in basic economics and institutional development. These links will allow AIFLD to establish guidelines to be used by in-country unions and federations when choosing participants for Meany Center courses. Improved follow-up will be accomplished by devising measurements of graduates" performance when they return to their own countries. A computerized evaluation system will be developed to track graduate performance by trade, activities, cultural background, educational level, etc. In addition, graduates will be kept up to date on issues discussed in AIFLD programs through the distribution of bulletins, information sheets, and newsletters. The project will also continue support to AIFLD"s Union-to-Union program, under which AIFLD provides subgrants to eight major U.S. unions to conduct industry-specific training programs through their affiliated International Trade Secretariats (ITS). The budgets for these programs are generally less than for a typical country program, and in many cases A.I.D. funding is merely a contribution to the overall ITS program. The ITS programs are broader in educational purpose than is AIFLD in-country training, promoting trade unionism and ITS affiliation. Participating U.S. unions and their ITS affiliates are: (1) Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union/Interamerican Textile, Leather, Garment, and Shoe Workers Federation (ACTWU/FITITVC); (2) American Federation of State, Country, and Municipal Employees/Public Service International (AFSCME/PSI); (3) American Federation of Teachers/International Federation of Free Teachers Unions (AFR/IFFTU); (4) Communications Workers of America/Postal, Telegraph and Telephone International (CWA/PTTI); (5) Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics, and Allied Workers International Union/International Federation of Chemical, Energy, and General Workers (GMP/ICEF); (6) Transport and Communications International Union/International Transport Workers Federation (TCU/ITF); (7) United Food and Commercial Workers/International Federation of Employees and Technicians (UFCW/IRO-FIET); and (8) Department of Professional Employees of the AFL-CIO/International Secretariat of Entertainment and Electronic Mass Media Unions (DPE/ISETU-FIET). AIFLD will also provide in-country TA in collective bargaining, contract negotiation, and the like. In-country training and/or TA will be provided in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, the Caribbean, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Overall targets include more than 1 million new union members and 200 new unions and more than 100,000 labor leaders trained in AIFLD and ITS programs. Where possible, AIFLD will coordinate its country programs with the education programs of the Interamerican Regional Workers Organization of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ORIT-ICFTU) and of the ITS.