This week in Las Vegas was an historic one for the trade union and labour movement. Not just for Unite and USW members but for unions and working people across the globe.
A merger document creating the first global union - Workers Uniting The Global Union was signed by Unite Joint General Secretary Derek Simpson and USW President Leo Gerard.
There has been plenty of press coverage this week, much of it positive.
The USW is a similar union to Unite with members in manufacturing, chemicals, electronics, rubber, steel and papermaking. Relationships in the papermaking sector between our two unions have developed well over the last two years and both sides look forward to working together to defend our membership, fight for better pay and conditions and justice for all.
The USW have set up a special website with daily coverage of their convention.
The site features speeches by President Gerard, guest speakers, Democratic Presidential candidate Barak Obama, Tony Woodley and special site dedicated to Workers Uniting.
Obama's full speech is impressive to say the least.
For more information visit: http://www.usw.org/convention/
See convention coverage of Day 3 for Derek Simpson's speech to the Convetnion.
About Tony Burke
Tony Burke is an Assistant General Secretary at the UK and Ireland's biggest trade union, Unite the Union.
Unite was formed on 1st May, 2007 by a merger of Amicus and TGWU. He heads up the Unite GPM sector, leading a team of experienced full time National and Regional Officers covering the Print, Paper, Packaging, Newspapers, Publishing and Media industries.
Tony was Deputy General Secretary of the print, paper and media union the GPMU until it merged, with the skills and professional union Amicus in 2004. Tony is a member of the General Council and Executive Committee of the TUC and also a number of senior committee’s of the global union Union Network International (UNI) Graphical; a member of the Executive Committee of the European Chemical, Energy and Mineworkers Federation; the chair of the TUC's Organising Academy Board; a member of the board of Vision In Print And Packaging and a trade union appointed member of the board of COGENT - the sector skills council for the Chemical, Oil, Pharmaceutical, Energy and Nuclear Industries. He is also a member of the Board Of Management of The Peoples Press Printing Society.
This blog will contain news from Unite, graphical, paper and media unions throughout Europe and the world and news and comment on industrial relations issues important to Unite members, managers and our industries. Feel free to comment on the issues that are posted here.