[Peace-discuss] Labor Justice Statement

[Peter Miller]

>Date: Fri, 09 Nov 2001 09:41:44 -0600
>From: Charles Allen <allenc at vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu>
>Subject: Labor Justice Statement
>Sender: owner-geo-alum at prairienet.org
>
>fyi, in solidarity - Charles
>
>>This was listed in a (the?) recent Nation, but the website for signatures 
>>is at http://communities.msn.com/laborpeaceandjustice/timeforjustice.msnw
>>
>>A Time for Justice, Not Vengeance
>>An Open Letter to the Labor Movement
>>
>>The stunning events of September 11 struck especially close to home for 
>>those of us in the labor movement. Hundreds of union members—and 
>>thousands of other working people—have been killed in the assaults. Food 
>>service workers, secretaries, window washers, janitors, maintenance 
>>workers, flight attendants, communications workers, public employees, 
>>firefighters and police officers are among the brothers and sisters we 
>>have lost. They reflected the vast diversity of today’s labor movement: 
>>women and men, people of all colors and ethnic backgrounds, gay and 
>>straight, and recent immigrants.
>>Along with the rest of America, we condemn the attacks of September 11, 
>>mourn the losses and feel anger at the injustice of innocent victims, and 
>>empathize with the devastated families who must now go on. But much of 
>>the substance and tone of the US government’s response to these events 
>>has also troubled us. We fear that blind anger and violent retaliation 
>>will only result in further loss of innocent lives, both American and 
>>foreign, and perpetuate a destructive cycle of violence that has already 
>>gone on too long. We also do not believe that such violence will result 
>>in the justice that most Americans are truly seeking.
>>As a result, we call upon all those who work for social and economic 
>>justice, especially our sisters and brothers in the labor movement, to 
>>incorporate into their response to the crisis six basic principles:
>>
>>1. Promote Solidarity. We cannot let the acts of a few extremists be used 
>>to justify hostility towards other Muslims, Arab-Americans, immigrants in 
>>general, or any other targeted group. We must be willing to speak out 
>>publicly against any acts of discrimination or intimidation based on 
>>race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, national origin, or immigration 
>>status. We must stand in solidarity with all working people.
>>
>>2. Support Working People. We must insist on a relief package for 
>>displaced workers and compensation for the injured and families of the 
>>lost, paying particular attention to the needs of undocumented workers 
>>and those not protected by union representation. We must also be vigilant 
>>for attacks on organized labor, ranging from employers exploiting the 
>>situation to undermine organizing and bargaining, to legislators passing 
>>anti-labor legislation in the name of the "war effort."
>>
>>3. Protect Civil Liberties. Domestic security is necessary to protect our 
>>freedoms and way of life. But we cannot let the quest for such security 
>>actually undermine those very freedoms and liberties. Especially in this 
>>time of crisis, civil liberties must be maintained.
>>
>>4. Stop the Cycle of Violence. Nothing excuses the attacks. We must take 
>>seriously the threat of terrorism and develop an effective response. To 
>>do so, we must recognize that the violence did not begin on September 11. 
>>Instead, those terrible events were merely the latest in a long-standing 
>>cycle of violence. To perpetuate that cycle with a lengthy series of 
>>overt and covert military operations will merely result in the loss of 
>>more innocent lives and will pave the way for more retaliations and 
>>assaults on innocent Americans in the future.
>>
>>5. Address the Sources of Violence. Instead of more violence, we must be 
>>willing to seriously examine the conditions and policies that have 
>>provided the soil within which terrorism germinates. We must reexamine US 
>>foreign policy, the stationing of massive numbers of US troops abroad, 
>>and US support for undemocratic regimes. We must be willing to hear the 
>>cries for justice and freedom that come from the world’s poor, and act to 
>>support efforts that promote justice.
>>
>>6. Seek Justice, not Vengeance. We should reject the crude calls for 
>>frontier "justice" of "dead or alive." Instead, we should affirm the 
>>importance of international law and seek civilized justice through the 
>>international courts and multi-national mediating bodies. Justice is a 
>>global issue that requires the cooperation of many nations. It cannot be 
>>imposed on the world by a single "super-power." True justice will punish 
>>those responsible for injustice while providing insurance against future 
>>violence.
>>We call on all people to incorporate these principles into their work and 
>>actions. We call especially on those in the labor movement to join us as 
>>we continue to do what the labor movement should always do: work for 
>>fairness and justice in our society and across the globe.
>>
>>--- Labor Committee for Peace and Justice

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/mailman/archive/peace-discuss/attachments/20011109/144e0a60/attachment.htm