[Peace-discuss] fwd: CA Labor Federation Calls for Immediate End to occupation

[Alfred Kagan]

>From: Red1pearl at aol.com
>Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 13:00:31 EDT
>Subject: fwd: CA Labor Federation Calls for Immediate End to occupation
>To: chicagoworkermarch at yahoogroups.com, gangbox at yahoogroups.com,
>         anti-cap-Discussion at yahoogroups.com, chicagodan at yahoogroups.com,
>         chicagomayday at yahoogroups.com
>
>This is good news we can use; still, there will be no money or staff 
>time coming from these endorsements, so it's still up to local 
>groups and individuals to make it real.
>
>Earl
>
>In a message dated 7/14/2004 7:03:36 AM Central Standard Time, 
>lduncan at igc.org writes:
>
>Issued 7/13/04 11:45 p.m. PDT
>For immediate release:
>Contact: Michael Eisenscher, U.S. Labor Against the War           510-693-7314
>
>Largest State Federation of Labor in U.S. Calls for "Immediate" End to
>U.S. Occupation of Iraq
>
>   San Diego, CA: On Tuesday, July 13th at its 25th biennial convention, the
>California Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, representing more than two million
>members, voted overwhelmingly to call upon the AFL-CIO to "demand an
>immediate end to the US occupation of Iraq, and to support the repeal of
>the Patriot Act and the reordering of national priorities toward the human
>needs of our people." The California federation is the largest in the
>AFL-CIO, with more than one-sixth of its members.
>
>The action was inspired by a strong antiwar resolution submitted by the
>San Francisco Labor Council, but as reported by the resolutions committee
>to the convention, it called only for an "expedient" end to the
>occupation.  When debate opened, State Labor Federation Vice President
>Nancy Wohlforth (who is also national Secretary-Treasurer of the Office &
>Professional Employees International Union and national leader of Pride at
>Work), proposed to restore the original demand for "immediate" end to the
>occupation.  Her motion was seconded by Walter Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer
>of the San Francisco Labor Council.  On a voice vote by the more than 400
>delegates, an overwhelming majority voted in favor of the stronger demand.
>The strength of that vote appears to reflect the depth of anger which union
>members have toward the Bush administration's "pre-emptive" war and
>occupation in Iraq where more than 850 U.S. troops have been killed and
>more than 5000 have been wounded since the invasion last year.
>
>A second amendment was then introduced by John Dalrymple, Executive
>Director of the Contra Costa County Central Labor Council, and Alan
>Benjamin, Executive Board member of OPEIU Local 3 in San Francisco, to
>affirm the California Labor Federation's intent to "explore affiliation
>with and help actively support and promote U.S. Labor Against the War
>(USLAW)...."  USLAW is a national network of labor organizations opposed to
>U.S. policy in Iraq that has more than 80 affiliated national and local
>unions, regional labor bodies, labor antiwar committees, and allied labor
>organizations.  This amendment was also adopted by an overwhelming
>majority, and was followed by an even larger majority vote for adoption of
>the resolution as amended.
>
>The California federation also adopted without modification a resolution
>demanding transparency and accountability by the AFL-CIO in its
>international programs.  It urged the AFL-CIO and its Solidarity Center to
>"exercise extreme caution in seeking or accepting funding >from the U.S.
>government, its agencies and any other institutions which it funds," such
>as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), for its work in Iraq or
>elsewhere.  It warned that doing so could "give the appearance, if not the
>effect, of making the AFL-CIO appear to be an agent of the U.S. government
>and its foreign policies," which, it warned, "may taint the good reputation
>of the Federation in the eyes of the labor movements in other countries and
>draw into question the motivation and true independence of the Federation
>in its international affairs."
>
>The convention called upon the AFL-CIO "to fully account for what was
>done" in Chile, Venezuela and other countries where the AFL-CIO funneled
>NED funds to opponents of the elected government.  In the case of Chile,
>that led to the military coup and overthrow of the democratically elected
>government of Salvador Allende in the 1973, which brought to power the
>Pinochet dictatorship, and in the case of Venezuela, to the attempted but
>unsuccessful overthrow of the government of Hugo Chavez in 2003.  It called
>upon the federation to give a country by country accounting of its
>activities and to "renounce any ... tie that could compromise our authentic
>credibility and the trust of workers here and abroad that would make us
>paid agents of government or of the forces of corporate economic
>globalization."
>
>The convention called upon the AFL-CIO to fund its international programs
>and activities, whenever possible, with funds generated directly from its
>affiliates and their members.
>
>That resolution had been submitted by the central labor councils of San
>Francisco, Monterey Bay, the South Bay and Plumbers and Fitters Local 393,
>in San Jose.
>
>The two-day convention resumes and will conclude on Wednesday.
>
>
>Issued by U.S. Labor Against the War
>1718 M Street, NW, #153
>Washington, DC 20036
>
>
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>U.S. Labor Against War (USLAW)
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><http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/>www.uslaboragainstwar.org
>info at uslaboragainstwar.org
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-- 


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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