‘The lumber business’: the Nordic dimension of AFL-FTUC’s network and operations, 1944–57

When the Free Trade Union Committee of the American Federation of Labor (AFL-FTUC) introduced their anti-communist cause to Europe, they quickly discovered that their earliest and most trusted partners resided in the north. This article explores how the Nordic region formed a cohesive and influential network during these initial stages of American labor’s Cold War abroad. By highlighting the Nordic labor leaders, ‘the lumber merchants’ in the parlance of the AFL-FTUC, as committed ideological partners of the Americans, the article contends that they did not simply bow to U.S. hegemony, but challenged, mediated, and strengthened the Americans’ strategy. The article thereby contributes to positioning the Nordic labor movements as critical actors within international labor diplomacy during the early Cold War.