A stand at the festival’s Friendship Fair illustrated the labor battle through photo displays, newspaper clippings, and a scrapbook. Supporters of the union-organizing struggle staffed the booth during the festival.

A member of the executive board of one of Venezuela’s oil workers’ unions stopped by the stand. After reading information on the struggle, he brought back two of his fellow unionists to learn about the fight and to take a picture in front of the stand, holding a sign that said “Solidarity with the Co-Op Coal Miners in Utah, USA.”

Venezuelan TV interviewed Co-Op miner Bill Estrada, who attended the festival. “I spoke about this labor battle and explained the solidarity we were winning from fellow fighters in many different countries,” Estrada said. After learning about the fight, delegates of the Bangladesh Youth Union took a stack of flyers on the Co-Op struggle to distribute from their table.

A member of the executive board of the public workers’ union in Venezuela stopped by the stand. His union would be entering into contract negotiations later this month and they will demand higher wages and benefits. “Our fights can reinforce each other,” he remarked.

Two members of the Construction, Forestry, Mining, and Energy Union of Australia who attended the festival donated union T-shirts and stickers for the Co-Op miners’ raffle in the August 21 solidarity picnic in Utah.

Several people wrote solidarity messages on the spot. Delegates also donated $65 for the Co-Op miners’ struggle.
 
 
Related articles:
Expand labor support for Militant Fighting Fund
Militant Fighting Fund: focus on labor support
Youth festival: forum to defend Venezuela, Cuba
Delegates in Caracas discuss fight for women’s equality  
 
 
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