IBM workers worldwide talk solidarity

By Lee Conrad National Coordinator Alliance @IBM/CWA Local 1701 USA

It is almost always a surprise to IBM USA employees when they find out that their co-workers in IBM overseas belong to unions and that they have labor contracts. It is also a surprise to our international friends that we here in the US have so little rights and protections.

Co-operation between the various IBM unions and works councils goes back many years. While the IBM unions in Europe had been in contact with each other, the first worldwide meeting of IBM unions and employee organizations finally took place in 1984 in Tokyo, Japan. This first meeting brought together representatives from 6 countries including the United States, represented by the pre-Alliance organization IBM Workers United and the National Black Workers Alliance of IBM.

Out of this first meeting was born "IBM Workers International Solidarity" or IWIS. This meeting was an eye opener in that it showed the common interests and problems each country faced, but also the different remedies to fix the problems such as collective bargaining and labor laws specific to each country.

More meetings in which the membership in IWIS expanded followed this meeting. Meetings were held in Athens, Paris, Rome and Sindlefingen, Germany. A meeting in New Orleans in 1987 coincided with the IBM stockholder meeting and the IWIS members all attended and the US representative read a list of demands and concerns to the stockholders.

By the time of the last meeting in Germany in 1992, IBM employee representatives from 14 countries had joined IWIS.

IBM by the early 1990's was in turmoil and the affects were felt around the world. The difference was that the company had to negotiate and bargain with the IBM employee unions in all matters regarding separation agreements, plant closings and working conditions. All in all their process was more humane and fair.

IWIS is now embarking on new initiatives to bring more IBM workers together, to share information on collective bargaining agreements and working conditions, and to help each country gain the information it needs to bring about positive change inside IBM.

As the IWIS motto says,

"An injury to one is an injury to all".