Almost 44 years ago, Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes, officers of the Alaska Cannery Workers Union, Local 37, ILWU, had a vision of building solidarity between the workers of the US and the Philippines. It was a vision that they had carried on from their fathers’ generation, which led Local 37 under the leadership of Chris Mensalves and Carlos Bulosan. But it was a vision and plan that cost them their lives. On June 1, 1981, Philippine dictators Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos ordered the two anti-Marcos activists murdered in their Seattle union hall by hired assassins.  That money came from the Marcoses and resulted in a federal court judge- ment of $23.5 million for the Domingo and Viernes families.

From February 24–March 3 this year, a 13-member Asian Pacific American Labor Delegation (APALA) – co-led by me, Silme's sister; Silme’s daughter and National APALA President, Ligaya Do- mingo; Kent Wong, founding President of APALA; and Ian Seruela, San Diego APALA Chair – made Silme and Gene’s dream come true. The eight-day trip materialized the Philippine solidarity work that Silme and Gene never lived to see. “I am so happy to have realized the dream of my late father, Silme Domingo, Gene Viernes, and their fellow activists,” stated Ligaya Domingo. “It was amazing to have the opportunity to speak directly with labor leaders and union members across many industries in the Philippines. We saw the true impact of globalization and unchecked capitalism, and I am more committed than ever about the importance of building relationships across the global labor movement to build greater power for all workers.”

APALA partnered with Nagkaisa, the largest alliance of labor groups and worker organizations in the modern history of the trade union movement in the Philippines, and the Philippine branch of the Solidarity Center. The delegation was composed of labor leaders from Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego, Minnesota, and Washington DC, many of them Filipino Americans who had never traveled to the Philippines. Over the course of the trip, which traveled to Manila and Cebu, the delegation met with hotel and hospitality workers who are organizing multinational hotel chains that pay substandard wages and benefits to workers; business process workers in call centers; healthcare workers at Makati Medical Center, which boasts an impressive labor-management relationship; public sector workers; teachers and educators; union miners, and a labor organization that advocates for the rights and well-being of local domestic workers. Tagoipay Mathno, a young Cham APALA Seattle Chapter leader, said that “This trip was an eye-opener to see the harmful impact of fascism and what it could do to a country. But the resiliency and generosity of the Filipino people was truly inspirational and served as a reminder of what we all could do as a collective.”

One of the most important meetings the delegation had was with unionized workers at Metro Wear Inc. 2, who were organizing for a possible strike in Cebu’s export processing zone. Export processing zones were set up during the Marcos dictatorship and served as economic zones that provide business incentives, including tax exemptions and barrier free trade environments, es- pecially for manufacturers and exporters. Metro Wear Inc. 2 workers produce Lululemon wear, a highly popular brand of workout wear. Formed in December 2023, the union, called Organization of Metrowear Employees for Genuine Advocacy - Pinagisang Tinig at Lakas ng Anakpawis (OMEGA - Piglas), has been fighting for recognition. Based on information given to the delegation, it was calculated that if a pair of workout pants costs $120/pair, and a beginning worker must make 50 pairs/ hr., that worker could possibly make $48,000 worth of pants/day. There are 1,500 workers in the plant, so the rate of exploitation is extreme for a work- force that makes about 501 pesos/day (equivalent to $8.76 USD/day). How- ever, in a recent victory, the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment, after pressure from foreign entities and Philippine elected officials, issued an order for Metro Wear Inc to enter into collective bargaining agreement negotiations with OMEGA-Piglas, thus avoiding a strike with the workers. APALA is watching these negotiations closely.

Bernie Burnham, President of the Minnesota Labor Federation, AFL- CIO, representing over 300,000 union members and 1,000 locals of Filipino descent, came to the Philippines on her first visit. "I was humbled to listen to the stories of the Filipino workers we met with and saw the hope in their eyes. Their pride was evident. I was especially impressed with the women, who work to build and advocate for their communities, seemingly against the odds. We were able to attend the People’s Power 1986 Commemoration on one of our afternoons. The energy and dedication to working people is alive and evident still today. We visited with survivors of the Marcos regime, whose mission to educate and continue to tell the story, vowing 'Never Again,' was powerful. To see the names of Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes, American labor leaders who were assassinated by Marcos hitmen and actually be there with Ligaya and Cindy…I will never forget the sacrifices of their families in the fight for a better labor movement. This trip reinforced my commitment to the labor movement and the importance of worldwide solidarity for workers.”

Please contact apala@gmail.com if you are interested in hearing about Seattle delegation report-back events.