Seamus McKinney18 April, 2019
“US trade union leaders have met the family of the late Martin McGuinness to update them on the progress of the McGuinness Principles.
Launched last year in memory of the former deputy first minister, the principles are based on four key demands, equality, respect, truth and self-determination. Supporters say they are based on the Good Friday Agreement and form a basis for conflict resolution.
A number of leading US trade unionists travelled to Derry yesterday to meet Mr McGuinness’s widow Bernie and his sons Fiachra and Emmet. More than 90 trade unionists spent the day in Derry culminating in the meeting with the McGuinness family.
Earlier, Terry O’Sullivan, president of the Labourers’ International Union of North America, John Samuelson, president of the Transport Workers’ Union met the McGuinness family to update them on progress on the principles.
Spokesman for the Nassau County Brehon Law Society, Marty Glennon told the family the principles were being increasingly well received in the US. Mr Glennon said the principles were being supported beyond the Irish American community.
“These four principles are all found in the Good Friday Agreement; equality is the bill of rights, respect for the Irish language, truth in terms of the legacy issues going forward and most importantly what Martin devoted his whole life to, would be the right to self-determination,” Mr Glennon said.
The group was also given an update on the current political process by former Sinn Féin Stormont speaker Mitchel McLaughlin.”
