Searching for allies: The United States and Latin American labor, 1945-1951

The State Department relies on allies to implement U.S. foreign policies. Latin American labor appeared to be a potential ally in 1945, but no consensus existed in the department. U.S. organized labor presented several problems as ally, hindering initiatives in this direction. The United States turned against the Latin American labor-left in 1945 and 1946 for a number of reasons. Global tensions, longstanding U.S. mistrust for the left, a focus on stability and access, and U.S. opposition to economic nationalism propelled conflict with Latin American labor. When U.S. officials joined economic nationalism to Soviet machinations in the region, opposition to the labor-left congealed. However, no successful policies emerged from this consensus: attempts to influence Latin American labor through the International Labor Organization, programs to bring labor leaders to the United States, and the embassies' labor attaches failed. The AFL took the initiative and formed a new confederation in Latin America. Unsupported by the department and hampered by CIO opposition and weak allies, the Confederacion Inter-Americana de Trabajadores failed. The department pushed the AFL and CIO to work together, but a second attempt, the Organizacion Regional Interamericana de Trabajadores, also failed to exert leadership in Latin America. The United States never effectively engaged Latin American unions. The AFL and CIO remained distant friends, offering limited funds and apolitical unionism inappropriate for the region. The government turned away from labor and based its hopes on traditional foreign investors and native politicians, landowners, and the military. This dissertation is based on extensive multi-archival research, especially the Decimal Files of the Department of State, Lot Files, Post Files, and collections of the Department of Labor at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The Harry S. Truman Library and the Oral History Interviews at the Georgetown Foreign Affairs Oral History Program fleshed out the picture of policymaking given in the documents. Research at the George Meany Memorial Archives clarified the role of the AFL and CIO in Latin American policy.