The Freedom to Organize
Happy 4th of July
On this day in labor history, July 4, 1950, the world took a stand for working people everywhere. The United Nations officially put into force the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, an international declaration that says, loud and clear, that the right to form and join a union is a fundamental human right. For working class folks, this wasn’t just paperwork, it was a recognition that our dignity, our safety, and our power on the job matter as much as any other human right.
After the devastation of World War II, the world’s leaders wanted to build a future that was fairer and safer for ordinary people. The International Labor Organization (ILO), the first specialized agency of the UN, led the charge. In 1948, the ILO adopted Convention No. 87, setting the gold standard for workers’ rights, “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association… Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.” The United Nations backed this up in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights, making it clear that union rights are human rights.
Why does this matter today? Because the fight for union rights is as urgent as ever. In 2025, we’re still seeing companies busting unions, politicians attacking collective bargaining, and working people punished for daring to organize. The ILO’s Committee on Freedom of Association has heard thousands of cases including dozens against the United States—where workers’ rights to organize have been trampled. Even now, the right to a union is under attack, whether it’s Amazon workers in Alabama or teachers in red states.
But history shows that when working people stand together, we win real change. The ILO and the UN didn’t just hand us these rights, we fought for them, and we have to keep fighting to defend them. Union rights mean better wages, safer workplaces, and a real voice in how our labor is used. They mean dignity for the janitor, the nurse, the truck driver, and the warehouse worker.
So when politicians or bosses tell you unions are “special interests,” remember, the world’s nations agreed that the right to organize is a basic human right. It’s a right worth defending, for us and for the generations who come after us. In a world where inequality is on the rise and the rich keep getting richer, standing up for union rights is standing up for democracy, justice, and the working class everywhere
.