For two weeks in June, six Iraqi union leaders from three major labor federations toured the US sponsored by U.S. Labor Against the War. USLAW, a coalition of over 100 labor organizations ranging from state federations to locals and regional groups, organized events in 26 cities . . . .

>A debate over the future of the AFL-CIO has been under way for some months and, for the life of me, while the debate becomes more intense, the differences seem to blur. Yet the feeling that one gets is that we are headed for a train wreck . . . .

This July marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Canadian Auto Workers. The CAW was created out of a split from the U.S.-based United Auto Workers, at the beginning of a difficult era that is still with us . . . .

Automation is transforming working conditions for the thousands of union members who keep the New York subways running. On June 19, the system’s “L” line between Brooklyn and Manhattan began running trains without conductors, leaving train operators as the only crew on board . . . .

The Canadian House of Commons approved historic legislation recognizing the right of lesbian and gay couples to marry on June 28. Canada joins the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain in full granting full legal equality to lesbians and gay men by eliminating discriminatory restrictions on marriage rights . . . .

Federal prosecutors filed a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) lawsuit against the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) July 6, alleging widespread corruption and ties between the union’s leadership and organized crime. The government is seeking to appoint a trustee for the 45,000-member union, which represents longshore workers on the East Coast, Gulf Coast, and Great Lakes . . . .