Even in an atmosphere of controlled information and legal restraints, some unions in the Middle East and North Africa region are pushing for greater political space. The Solidarity Center's cross-regional union media program is building Arab labor journalists' skill base so that they can serve their unions' internal and external communications needs.

Union members are sharpening their media skills to strengthen and spread values of respect, dignity, security, tolerance and justice — so important to workers and their families in any society, especially where traditional media channels are censored or constrained. Together with their neighbors, they are promoting free speech and freedom of association — necessary to nurture nascent labor movements.

Building Skills at the National Labor College

In July 2005, a group of 12 Arab trade unionists from national union federations and affiliates in Jordan, the Palestinian Territories, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, Algeria, and Tunisia came to the United States for a two-week exchange program on communications and media skills. They spent the first week at the National Labor College, engaging in facilitated discussions, small-group exercises, and other collaborative work aimed at sharpening their internal and external communications skills.

Participants' diverse sectoral, country, and generational backgrounds provided a wonderful opportunity to exchange experiences, as did the mix between trade unionists with professional journalism experience and those new to the task. The group learned tactics and strategies to draw the audience into a story, how to use color and design in publications, and media outreach skills.

Finding Common Ground With American Counterparts

During the second week, participants learned about the communications work of their American union counterparts. The group was exposed to practical tools and strategies used by the United Federation of Teachers, The Newspaper Guild – CWA, and other U.S. unions to recruit members and communicate internally on worksite and policy issues. Local 32 BJ of the Service Employees International Union hosted a day of New York meetings that combined representatives of SEIU, UFT, and UNITE HERE.

Particularly valuable were practical discussions on challenges faced in union communications, such as the use of media as a strategic tool to build alliances across geographic and linguistic barriers. All agreed that this chance to engage directly with union counterparts in Washington and New York City represented the best aspect of the program.

Arab trade unionists were stunned to learn about the myriad challenges facing the American labor movement on the eve of the AFL-CIO’s 2005 Convention in Chicago. One participant said, “I discovered that workers’ conditions in America are no less difficult than the conditions of workers in Arab countries.” Standing in the office of the President of the American Postal Workers Unions, Palestinian trade unionist Atef Saed noted: “My colleagues and I are so proud to be here at the headquarters of an American union whose struggle is well known to us in the Middle East. Truly, we feel as if we are at home with our brothers and sisters in the American labor movement.”

Tunisian Labor Editor Shares His Experiences

Mohammed Ben Abdullah edits Al-Shaab (The People), the newspaper of the Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail (UGTT). He gladly shared his experience in professional journalism with his colleagues and welcomed meeting with American trade unionists, since, as he recalls, the U.S. labor movement’s commitment to solidarity with Tunisian workers extends back to the days when Tunisians were struggling for their own independence. Today, Tunisian workers face similar challenges to American workers — fighting for decent wages and health care, grappling with the expiration of the Multi-Fiber Agreement and its expected impact on their garment and textile sector, and organizing workers to have a voice on the job and in society.

Returning Home: Next Steps

By the end of the program, the group had decided to set up a regional network of Arab union communications experts as a forum for continuing their exchange of ideas and collaboration. Arab trade unionists returned home eager to apply what they had learned in the United States, by implementing communications and media strategies through projects that will tangibly benefit their own unions.