Britain's largest union is merging with United Steelworkers, creating the first trans-Atlantic labor organization, the two labor groups said Sunday. UNITE, which represents more than 2 million workers in Britain's transportation, energy and public sectors, among others, is set to join United Steelworkers, which has some 850,000 members in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. UNITE spokesman Andrew Murray said "the finishing touches" were worked out at a meeting between UNITE and Steelworkers representatives last week. The unions have joined forces because both have been left behind by globalization, Murray said.
See "UK's largest union to join United Steelworkers", San Francisco Chronicle, May 26, 2008