Building Global Alliances     Globalization makes achieving just treatment for workers more challenging.   The USW is responding forcefully to globalization's threat of a "race to the bottom" on working conditions and environmental standards.    Our union has recently signed strategic alliances with unions in Australia, Brazil, Germany, and Mexico.  The alliances commit the unions to:   ·       coordinate bargaining and organizing with common employers ·       support each other during strikes and disputes with common employers ·       coordinate and implement industry sector activities and policies   Our Union is also an affiliate of and active participant in four Global Union Federations (GUF):   ·       International Metalworkers Federation (IMF) ·       International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) ·       Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) ·       International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF)   The USW is collaborating with these organizations to ensure they have the ability to coordinate global campaigns against global corporations that attempt to abuse workers.   Our Union has also worked in tandem with the IMF and ICEM to create global union councils.  These are useful for sharing information, coordinating bargaining strategies and waging contract campaigns on a worldwide scale against common employers.    Global union councils have proven useful in campaigns against numerous companies, including Bridgestone/Firestone, Goodyear and Rio Tinto.   See the links to the left for further information on USW efforts to build power for workers through building global alliances.