January 2026 – The ITUC has expressed its solidarity with workers and communities in Minneapolis, USA and stands with the AFL-CIO in mourning the killing of union member Alex Pretti, calling for a full and transparent investigation.
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse and member of a public employees’ union, was fatally shot by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis.
The situation in the United States reflects, and intensifies, a wider global trend. Across all regions, democracy and trade unions are under attack:
- Workers are increasingly confronted with authoritarian responses as protests and collective mobilisations are treated as matters of “security” rather than as legitimate expressions of democracy.
- Repression is becoming the first response to the social and economic demands of workers at a moment when inequality is increasing at an alarming rate.
- Women, migrant workers, LGBTQI workers and all workers in precarious and informal employment are being deliberately targeted, silenced and marginalised.
“From Minneapolis to every region of the world, the ITUC stands with workers in resisting repression, rejecting division and fighting for democracy. We will fight for democracy because it is not an abstract ideal, it forms the very foundation of workplace rights, social justice and shared prosperity.” – ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle.