GLOBAL MINIMUM WAGE

WHEREAS, the concept of minimum wage is now widely accepted as a mechanism to help working families avoid complete destitution; and

WHEREAS, many emerging economies do not yet have the benefit of strong unions or strong human and civil rights laws and customs; and

WHEREAS, a global minimum wage would provide a foundation for workers to build decent working conditions, reduce poverty and starvation and help promote the idea of unions as necessary to the "balance of powers" concepts inherent in the idea of democracy; and

WHEREAS, many internal economic rules, laws, treaties and practices exist and are promoted to protect copyrights, currency transactions and general worldwide trade; and

WHEREAS, the World Bank, the "Big 8" and the IMF all consistently promote laws, practices and treaties to help rationalize world trade and control currency trading, etc.:

RESOLVED, that the AFT, with the help of the AFL-CIO and other international unions, work with the ILO to launch a campaign to propagate the benefits of minimum wages and democratic unions in every country affected by globalization; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT, with assistance from the AFL-CIO and other international labor organizations, urge the ILO and other appropriate U.N. and international agencies and foundations to lobby the IMF and World Bank economic programs; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT, through the AFL-CIO, urge the American Department of State to promote unionization and minimum wage programs as part of its ongoing human rights advocacy programs and urge the Department of State to promote educational curricula about the role of unions in building democratic societies.