Connect Trade Union Signs Landmark Global Federation Agreement

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Connect Trade Union Signs Landmark…

The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (Connect Trade Union) signed a landmark global federation agreement with the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices (UA), which represents 370,000 craft workers in the United States, Canada and Australia. The signing ceremony was hosted at the Irish Embassy in Washington on January 27th – 2015.

The Federation brings an entirely new international perspective to the work of both of our unions. Eamon Devoy, General Secretary of the Connect Trade Union stated that “With the ever increasing globalisation of business there is a need for unions in the Engineering Sector to work more closely together to ensure that proper employment standards are developed and maintained.

“This includes the imperative that engineering workers are suitably trained and retrained to meet the demands of change based technologies that are crucial to the needs of successful business. This agreement will greatly benefit all of us”.

The Irish Ambassador to the United States, Ms Anne Anderson, said, “I am delighted to host here at the Embassy of Ireland in Washington D.C. the signing of a landmark global federation agreement between two strong unions straddling the Atlantic Ocean, the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices (UA), based in North America and the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union (Connect Trade Union), based in Ireland.

“This federation promises to deliver considerable benefits for the members of both unions, especially in terms of expanding training and future employment opportunities for the members of both organisations. The timing of this agreement, coming as it does as both the Irish and US economies return to strong growth rates, bodes especially well for its successful implementation and future development. I wish the UA and the Connect Trade Union every success in making this global federation agreement a successful trans-Atlantic reality over the period ahead”.

The UA organises and represents 370,000 plumbers, pipefitters, sprinkler fitters, service technicians and welders in North America and Australia. The Connect Trade Union has over 40,000 members.