[Peace-discuss] Fwd: USLAW
Alfred Kagan
akagan at uiuc.edu
Fri Aug 15 11:47:28 CDT 2003
FYI. I will be attending this meeting representing the UIUC Union of
Professional Employees.
>Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 15:17:50 -0400
>From: MGouliard at aol.com
>To: akagan at uiuc.edu
>Subject: USLAW
>X-AOL-IP: 12.221.65.151
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> To: Local, regional and national unions Labor councils and
>other regional labor bodies Allied labor organizations Ad
>hoc labor antiwar committees and union caucuses Community-based
>labor organizations and worker centers Labor movement antiwar
>activists and organizers
> From: U.S. Labor Against War
>
>Has your labor organization, union, labor council and/or its
>principal officers endorsed* the NATIONAL LABOR ASSEMBLY FOR PEACE?
>* Only organizations that have endorsed the Assembly qualify to send
>voting delegates to it.
>
>Below and attached are -- The Call to the Assembly, Qualifications
>for representation and delegate status, and Registration and
>reservation information.
>
>BE SURE TO SEND IN YOUR ENDORSEMENT AND PLACE YOUR HOTEL RESERVATION EARLY.
>
>*****************************************************************************************************************************************************
>US Labor Against WarCALLto theNATIONAL LABOR ASSEMBLY for
>PEACEOctober 24-25 in Chicago, IL.
>
> Help publicize this important event. Please give this Call wide
>distribution and circulation.
> * Ask the principal officers of your organization to
>endorse the Assembly and cosign the Call. * Get your
>organization to endorse the Assembly and cosign the Call. *
>Get a commitment to send delegates from your organization. *
>Distribute the Call to other affiliates, regional labor bodies and
>allied labor organizations.
>
>A copy in PDF format is also available at the USLAW website at
>www.uslaboragainstwar.org . Check the USLAW website
>(www.uslaboragainstwar.org) for the most up to date list of
>endorsers, registration materials and other information about the
>Assembly, which will be posted as it becomes available.
>For more information, direct your queries to:
>info at uslaboragainst.org or write to USLAW, P.O. Box 153, 1718 M
>Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>CALL to a NATIONAL LABOR ASSEMBLY for PEACEOCTOBER 24-25, 2003 in CHICAGO
>
>Dear Sisters and Brothers:
>The undersigned trade unionists invite you to join us for a National
>Labor Assembly on the issues of peace, prosperity, security,
>democracy and justice. Its purpose will be to forge an ongoing
>labor coalition that will challenge the U.S. foreign policy of
>permanent war and its consequences for working families both here at
>home and abroad. The Assembly will be held in Chicago on the
>evening of October 24 and all day on October 25, 2003.
>In the months preceding the invasion of Iraq, hundreds of local,
>state and national unions, central labor councils and other labor
>organizations took official positions opposing war on Iraq. This
>led to the founding, on January 11 in Chicago, of U.S. Labor Against
>the War (USLAW). On February 27 the AFL-CIO Executive Council
>adopted its own resolution opposing Bush's unilateral and preemptive
>military action. By the time the invasion of Iraq was actually
>launched on March 20, labor organizations representing almost
>one-third of all organized workers in the U.S. were on record
>opposed to the war.
>U.S. troops are now committed to an indeterminate occupation of that
>war-devastated country. All the important questions about Iraq's
>future remain under a cloud, including what role the Iraqi people
>will have in shaping their own future and whether Iraqi workers will
>enjoy internationally recognized labor rights, including the right
>to organize freely, to bargain collectively and to strike.
>Despite its rhetoric about liberation, it is increasingly clear that
>the Bush administration is motivated more by global ambitions and
>corporate interests than by the freedom of Iraqis. Consistent with
>its belligerent posture and preemptive war doctrine, threats of
>military action against other countries continue to emanate from the
>administration. Its announced decision to resume development of
>tactical nuclear weapons will escalate the arms race, making the
>U.S. and the whole world less, not more, secure.
>Our nation is in the midst of its worst economic crisis in decades.
>Organized labor and working families are under a relentless assault
>from the Bush administration on every front. Government has become
>a willing ally of big business in attacking unions and the right to
>organize and bargain. More than 180,000 federal workers have lost
>the right to union representation in the name of "national
>security." While the social safety net is being shredded, the
>administration is massively cutting taxes for the wealthy. It has
>undermined cherished democratic ideals and eroded Constitutional
>rights with measures like the Patriot Act and Homeland Security Act.
>The budget for the military and prisons continues to grow, while
>social programs and public sector jobs and services are being
>downsized, outsourced, privatized or eliminated. Schools are being
>shuttered and teachers laid off by the thousands, veterans benefits
>are being slashed, millions are jobless, many millions more are
>without health care and adequate housing. In communities of color,
>among immigrants and the poor, these cuts will have a
>disproportionately painful impact. Children will suffer their worst
>effects. The $200 billion being spent to topple Saddam Hussein and
>reconstruct Iraq could have been spent addressing these urgent needs.
>The stakes at this moment in history are high. For many trade
>unionists who did not oppose the war earlier, the relationship
>between a militarized foreign policy and its effect on our domestic
>economy are becoming painfully clear. "National security" has
>become the cover for gutting many of the social and economic gains
>won by working people during the 20th century. The Administration
>is using the power of the US military to boost Bush's image in the
>face of the disastrous results of his economic policies.
>This administration presents the most serious threat to the economic
>and social well being, civil liberties and civil rights, security
>of the nation and peace in the world of any in memory. Bush's
>defeat in the 2004 election is of paramount urgency. However, in
>seeking his defeat, we must assure the defeat of the policies he has
>promoted so that no matter who is elected, it will be politically
>impossible to pursue them. We believe organized labor can defeat
>these policies only by making the connection between the
>militarization of U.S. foreign policy and the militarization of our
>society, the curtailment of civil liberties and encroachment on our
>Constitutional rights, and the bankrupting of government services at
>all levels.
>We propose to create a voice within the labor movement that is an
>energetic advocate for policies that strengthen international
>institutions so that conflicts between nations can be resolved
>through diplomacy rather than war. We seek a U.S. foreign policy
>that promotes global economic and social justice, not the use of
>military force. We want our government to meet human needs, not
>cater to corporate greed.
>
>INITIATING SIGNATORIES(list in formation)
>
>ORGANIZATIONAL ENDORSEMENTS
>
> 1199 New England SEIU AFSCME Dist. Council 1707, NYC, by President
>Brenda Stokely AFT Local 2121, San Francisco, by President Allan
>Fisher Arabs Building Community - Bay Area (CA) Labor Committee
>Bay Area (CA) Labor Committee for Peace & Justice California
>Federation of Teachers, by President Mary Bergan Chicago Labor
>Against the War, by Treasurer Larry Duncan Coalition of University
>Employees (UC - CA) Anti-war Caucus Washington, DC Metropolitan
>Labor Council, by President Joslyn Williams King County (Seattle)
>Labor Council, by Executive Secretary Steve Williamson Los Angeles
>College Faculty Guild, Local 1521, by the Executive Board
>Massachusetts Labor for Justice With Peace Pride at Work by
>Co-President Nancy Wohlforth and Executive Director Marta Ames
>PSC-CUNY/AFT Local 2334, by Senior College Officer Nancy Romer San
>Francisco Labor Council, by Secretary-Treasurer Walter Johnson SEIU
>Health Care Workers Local 250 (CA) by President Sal Rosselli United
>Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers, by General Secretary-Treasurer
>Bruce Klipple United Educators of San Francisco, by the UESF
>Executive Board
>
>INDIVIDUAL ENDORSEMENTS(organizations and titles for identification only)
>
> Amatullah Alaji-Sabrie, President of Local 3, Coalition of
>University Employees (UC - CA) Thomas Balanoff, President, SEIU
>Local 1 and International V.P. of SEIU Alan Benchich, President,
>UAW Local 909, Warren, MI Anna Burger, Secretary-Treasurer, Service
>Employees International Union Gene Carroll, Director of Union
>Leadership Program, ILR, Cornell University Miguel Contrerez,
>Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Los Angeles County Federation of
>Labor Alice Dale, President, SEIU Local 49 and International V.P.
>of SEIU (Portland) Art Doherty, President, Philadelphia Area Local
>APWU, V.P. Philadelphia CLC, V.P. PA State Federation of Labor
>Maria Elena Durazo, President, HERE Local 11, Los Angeles; VP of
>HERE David Foster, Director, United Steelworkers of America, Region
>11 (MN) Fred Hirsch, Vice President, Plumbers & Fitters Local 393,
>San Jose Claudia Horning, Statewide President, Coalition of
>University Employees (UC-CA) Marty Hittelman, Vice President, CA
>Federation of Teachers John Kirk, Chief Grievance Officer, AFT
>Local 1493, San Mateo County Community College Faculty Nancy
>Lessin, USWA 9358 (Boston); Co-founder of MFSO
> Zev Kvitky, President, United Stanford Workers; Vice-President,
>SEIU Local 715 Charles Lester Political Director, Los Angeles
>County Federation of Labor Michael Letwin, Co-Convenor, NYC Labor
>Against War Elena Marcheschi, Chicago Labor for Peace, Prosperity &
>Justice Eliseo Medina, Executive V.P., SEIU Western Region David
>Novogrodsky, Executive Director, Professional & Technical Engineers
>Local 21, San Francisco Debby Pope, Director of Communications,
>Chicago Teachers Union, AFT #1 Charley Richardson, SEIU 254
>(Boston) and Co-founder, MFSO Louie Rocha, President, CWA Local
>9423, San Jose Wendy Thompson, UAW President 235, Detroit Jerry
>Tucker, Executive Director, United Health Care Workers, St. Louis
>Howard Wallace, Executive Committee, San Francisco Labor Council;
>Former National Co-Chair, Pride at Work Gerry Zero, President,
>Teamsters Local 705, Chicago
>
>Our website provides an easy and convenient way for both
>organizations and individuals to endorse the National Labor Assembly
>for Peace. Just go to the USLAW home page
>(www.uslaboragainstwar.org). At top center is a purple box with a
>link to the endorsement form. It can also be accessed from a link
>in a box at the left below the table of contents.
>We encourage principal officers to endorse as individuals while they
>take the steps needed to get an organizational endorsement, then
>return to register their organization's endorsement once it has been
>approved.
>If you have any questions, let us know by writing to
>info at uslaboragainstwar.org.
>Registration procedures and forms and information about hotel
>reservations will be available on the webpage shortly.
>OR
>COMPLETE and RETURN this form! (Hotel information is below the
>form) Add your organizational or individual endorsement to the
>call by returning the form below:
>
> ____ My labor organization endorses this call and wants to be
>listed as a cosigner. ____ I endorse the call and want to be
>listed as an individual cosigner with organizational
>affiliation and office for identification only.
>
>
>
> NAME_____________________________________________
>DATE_______________________
>OFFICE/POSITION____________________________ LABOR
>ORGANIZATION_____________________________________ LOCAL NO.______
>ADDRESS______________________________________________
>CITY_____________________STATE____ ZIP______
>PHONE (____)__________________FAX (____)__________________
>CELL/PAGER (_____)__________________ EMAIL
>ADDRESS___________________________________________________________
>
> ___I PLAN TO ATTEND THE ASSEMBLY
>___MY ORGANIZATION WILL SEND DELEGATES
>
> Return to USLAW at info at uslaboragainstwar.orgor send toUSLAW, P.O.
>Box 153, 1718 M ST NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036
>
>
>===============================================================================================
>
>
>U.S. Labor Against War
>
>National Labor Assembly for PeaceEvening of October 24 and all day
>on October 25 in Chicago
>Guidelines for Establishing Delegate Status Organizations and
>individuals will be entitled to representation at the National Labor
>Assembly for Peace on the following basis: I. CATEGORIES OF
>DELEGATES:
>There shall be five general types of delegates:
>1. Delegates from endorsing labor organizations (national,
>intermediate, local);
>2. Delegates from local labor anti-war committees
>3. Delegates from other allied labor movement organizations;
>4. At-large delegates (individuals); and
>5. Fraternal (non-voting) delegates invited by the Continuations
>Committee to participate (foreign guests, representatives of
>organizations outside the labor movement, etc.).
>
>The co-convenors of U.S. Labor Against the War, Bob Muehlenkamp and
>Gene Bruskin, shall automatically have delegate status with one vote
>each.
>
>II. GENERAL PROVISIONS 1. No delegate may represent more than
>one organization.
>2. There shall be no vote by proxy.
>3. An organization may send as many delegates as the number of
>votes to which it is entitled. 4. Each delegate shall cast the
>number of votes to which the organization s/he represents is
>entitled divided by the number of delegates present and voting from
>that organization. 5. Organizations sending delegates to the
>Assembly are urged to be mindful of the need for diversity in
>representation. Every effort should be made to have the Assembly
>represent the diversity of the labor movement with regard to gender
>and gender orientation, race, ethnicity, age, as well as industry
>sector and geographic distribution. 6. The registration fee for
>each delegate shall be $50.00, payable in advance of the opening of
>the Assembly.
>7. Any complaint, dispute or problem regarding delegate selection
>will be resolved by the Continuations Committee of USLAW or a
>sub-committee designated for that purpose either prior to or during
>the National Labor Assembly.
>8. Non-delegates may observe the Assembly proceedings from an
>area reserved for guests and observers. Non-delegates shall pay a
>registration fee of $10.00.
>III. DELEGATES FROM ENDORSING LABOR ORGANIZATIONS
>1. Endorsing labor organizations are those that have formally
>endorsed the National Labor Assembly prior to Oct. 17, 2003 and have
>informed USLAW of that endorsement in writing or electronically.
>2. Endorsing national unions shall be entitled to five (5) votes each.
>3. Endorsing local unions (lodges, branches, chapters, etc.) shall
>be entitled to votes on the following basis: 1 vote -- up to
>100 members 2 votes -- 101 to 500 members 3 votes -- 501
>to 1,000 members 4 votes -- 1,001 to 2,000 members 5
>votes -- 2,001 to 3,000 members 6 votes -- 3,001 to 4,000
>members 7 votes -- 4,001 to 5,000 members 8 votes --
>5,001 to 6,000 members 9 votes -- 6,001 to 7,000 members
>10 votes -- 7,001 to 8,000 members 11 votes -- 8,001 to 9,000
>members 12 votes -- 9,001 to 10,000 members 13 votes --
>10,001 to 11,000 members One additional vote for each additional
>5,000 members (or major fraction thereof) up to a maximum of 25
>votes. 4. Endorsing intermediate labor bodies (Central Labor
>Councils, joint councils, district councils, state federations,
>etc.) shall each be entitled to 3 votes. IV. DELEGATES FROM LABOR
>ANTI-WAR COMMITTEES
>1. Previously established ad hoc labor antiwar committees whose
>antiwar positions had been taken prior to the date on which the Call
>was issued (June 27, 2003) shall each be entitled to 5 votes.
>Delegates must be nominated at an open publicized membership meeting
>and elections shall be conducted in a democratic manner. Ad hoc
>labor antiwar committees that come into existence after June 27,
>2003 may apply to the Continuations Committee to have voting
>delegates at the National Labor Assembly.
>V. DELEGATES FROM OTHER LABOR MOVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS
>1. Designated national allied labor organizations (PAW, CLUW, Jobs
>with Justice, APALA, LCLAA, CBTU, A. Phillip Randolph) that have
>endorsed the Assembly shall be entitled to 5 votes each. Endorsing
>local affiliates of national allied labor organizations shall be
>entitled to 1 vote each.
>VI. DELEGATES FROM NON-ENDORSING ORGANIZATIONS 1. Individual
>members of other non-endorsing labor organizations shall participate
>through the At-Large Caucus. The Continuations Committee shall
>establish an At-Large Caucus which shall meet immediately prior to
>the opening plenary. The caucus shall elect one voting delegate for
>every 25 at-large delegates or major fraction thereof in attendance
>at the Caccus at the time of the election. 2. The Continuations
>Committee shall invite and bestow fraternal delegate credentials to
>individuals and representatives of other organizations as will
>further the goals of the Assembly. Fraternal delegates will have no
>vote and may speak only if invited by the Convention Chairperson.
>VII. REGISTRATION
>1. Each participant shall complete a registration form.
>2. Registration fees of delegates must be received no later than
>the opening of the Assembly. Registration fees of non-delegates may
>be received prior to or during the Assembly. There shall be no
>registration fee for invited guests and fraternal delegates.
>VIII. RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES
>1. All disputes regarding delegate status shall be resolved by
>the Continuations Committee, or a sub-committee thereof designated
>for that purpose, whose determination shall be final and binding.
>=======================================================================
> HOLIDAY INN - CHICAGO MART PLAZA
>350 N Orleans St. Chicago, IL 60654 / 312-836-5000U.S. Labor Against
>The WarNATIONAL LABOR ASSEMBLY FOR PEACE10/24-26, 2004For
>reservations call: 312-836-5000 Or 1-800-Holiday (465-4329)
>
>Identify yourself with the above group to get the group rate of
>$99.00 single or double plus tax of 14.9%. You must also give the
>group code of " VUS " in order to receive this special rate. All
>reservations must be received by October 3, 2003. Any reservation
>received after that date will be on an availability basis and at
>prevailing rates and not the discounted group rate. The Holiday Inn
>Mart Plaza is located just north of the Ohio exit off of I 94 in
>downtown Chicago and adjacent to the Chicago Merchandise Mart.
>
>(The attached zipped file contains this document in PDF format with
>photos and map.)
--
Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA
tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu
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