Global Trade Unions Convene Sydney Congress Amid Worker Rights Crisis

The U.S. labor movement faces a critical moment under President Donald Trump's administration, which has aggressively targeted union rights and workers, including stripping collective bargaining rights from over a million federal workers and intensifying anti-worker policies. Despite these challenges, there is a growing fighting spirit among rank-and-file workers, with significant organizing victories such as the recent unionization of 32,000 home healthcare workers in Michigan. Labor activists emphasize the need for a dual strategy combining electoral politics—especially efforts to build a Democratic majority to counteract Trump—and militant direct actions like strikes, consumer boycotts, and slowdowns to resist authoritarianism and corporate power. Unions must build greater strike readiness, broaden coalitions with community groups, and push for pro-worker political candidates in upcoming primaries and elections. Globally, trade unions are organizing for a just future that addresses inequality, climate change, and corporate exploitation, advocating for legally binding human rights due diligence laws rather than voluntary corporate codes. However, the labor movement remains fragmented and struggles with organizing in fast-growing sectors, underscoring the need to revitalize union structures and expand organizing to new industries and communities.