[Peace] FW: Organized Labor Forms National Antiwar Organization -
additional reports
Marianne Brun
manni at snafu.de
Mon Sep 28 15:09:14 CDT 2009
----------
Von: portsideMod at netscape.net
Antworten an: portside at yahoogroups.com
Datum: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 01:27:33 -0500
An: portside at yahoogroups.com
Betreff: Organized Labor Forms National Antiwar Organization - additional
reports
(keynote, list of unions taking a stand against the war, who
attending founding meeting, information on Bay Area follow-up
meeting)
from: Michael Eisenscher <meisenscher at igc.org
Sisters & Brothers:
On Saturday, January 11 in Chicago history was made. More than one
hundred trade union leaders gathered there to found US Labor Against
the War (USLAW). These union officers, officials and activists came
from organizations representing more than 2 million members. Below
you will find the final resolution adopted unanimously after a lively
and thoughtful debate. It represents the blending of elements from
two resolutions submitted for consideration by organizers of the
meeting and by some of those attending. Also below are remarks I
made early in the opening session, a preliminary tabulation of the
affiliation and union positions of those attending, and a census of
organizations which had gone on record against Bush's wars against
Iraq and workers here in the U.S. The census, prepared in advance of
the meeting on the basis of resolutions available to me, greatly
understates the actual extent of labor opposition, as many other
organizations that had gone on record were identified in the course
of the meeting, and a significant and growing number will be taking
action at meetings in the coming month. A revised analysis will be
forthcoming.
A caucus of attendees from CA which met after the meeting concluded
decided to schedule a Bay Area report-back on Sunday, January 26th at
10:00 a.m. It will be held at ILWU Local 10 in SF (pending
confirmation of availability). A final notice with confirmed location
will be forthcoming. At this meeting, we will decide who from CA
will serve as our geographic area representative to a continuations
committee. I was designated as a "place-holder" representative until
that meeting. More details from the event will be forthcoming.
Needless to say, this development is unprecedented and portends a
significant shift in the posture of the labor movement toward U.S.
foreign policy in general and the Bush administration's dual war
strategy (war on the world and war on workers) in particular.
Also attending from the Greater Bay/So. Bay area were representatives
of the SF Labor Council, CA Nurses Association, ILWU Local 10, NALC
Local 214, CUE Local 3, SEIU Local 250, No. CA Media Workers Union,
National Writers Union/UAW Local 1981, Monterey Bay Labor Council,
AFT Local 1936, and Labor Committee for Peace & Justice.
The immediate objectives are to (a) build the largest possible labor
participation in the January 18 demonstrations in DC and SF (assemble
at 11:00 a.m. in SF at Drumm and Market in front of the Hyatt Hotel
with union banners and colors), and (b) to get as many unions and
labor bodies to adopt or endorse the founding resolution (see below).
Yours in solidarity,
Michael Eisenscher
==========================
WE ESTABLISH U.S. LABOR AGAINST THE WAR
WHEREAS, over 100 trade unionists from 76 local, regional and
national unions, central labor councils and other labor organizations
(see details below) representing over 2 million members gathered in
Chicago for an unprecedented meeting to discuss our concerns about
the Bush administration¹s threat of war; and
WHEREAS, union members and leaders have the responsibility to inform
all working people about issues that affect their lives, jobs and
families, and to be heard in the national debate on these issues; and
WHEREAS, the principal victims of any military action in Iraq will be
the sons and daughters of working class families serving in the
military who will be put in harm's way, and innocent Iraqi civilians
who have already suffered so much; and
Whereas, we have no quarrel with the ordinary working class men,
women and children of Iraq, or any other country; and
Whereas, the billions of dollars spent to stage and execute this war
are being taken away from our schools, hospitals, housing and Social
Security; and
Whereas, the war is a pretext for attacks on labor, civil, immigrant
and human rights at home; and
Whereas, Bush's drive for war serves as a cover and distraction for
the sinking economy, corporate corruption and layoffs; and
Whereas, such military action is predicted actually to increase the
likelihood of retaliatory terrorist acts; and
Whereas, there is no convincing link between Iraq and Al Qaeda or the
attacks on Sept. 11, and neither the Bush administration nor the UN
inspections have demonstrated that Iraq poses a real threat to
Americans; and
Whereas, U.S. military action against Iraq threatens the peaceful
resolution of disputes among states, jeopardizing the safety and
security of the entire world, including Americans; and
Whereas, labor has had an historic role in fighting for justice;
therefore
We hereby establish the ³U.S. Labor Against the War¹ (USLAW)"; and
Resolve that U.S. Labor Against the War stands firmly against Bush's
war drive; and
Further resolve that U.S. Labor Against the War will publicize this
statement, and promote union, labor and community antiwar activity.
Adopted January 11, 2003 in Chicago, IL.
=============================================
Opening Remarks by Michael Eisenscher, Coordinator, Bay Area Labor
Committee for Peace & Justice:
Compared to opposition to any other war in the last 50 years, labor
opposition has emerged faster, with more clarity and greater
influence than to any other war.
The first labor opposition emerged within weeks of the horrific
events of 9/11. Various organizations moved on different issues:
civil liberties, economic impacts, class discrimination in the
bailouts, immigrant rights, racial profiling, anti-militarization,
budget priorities and more. Over time opposition shifted as the
focus of attention moved from Al Qaeda to Afghanistan to Pakistan to
Iraq, with some also taking on the US role in the Phillipines,
Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. What began as a labor response to
the administration response to 9/11 shifted to a labor response to
U.S. foreign and domestic war strategies that were seen by increasing
numbers to be class-interested and class-biased.
The Patriot Act, roundup and detention of immigrants, firing of
screeners, profiling of Muslims, Middle-Easterners and So. Asians,
imposition of Taft-Hartley on ILWU, raid on the Social Security Trust
Fund, tax giveaways to investors and the wealthy, corporate bailouts,
dismantling of vital domestic programs and human services,
privatization of public jobs, banning public employee unions in
restructuring federal government programs and departments, shifting
budget burdens to states and local government, increasing federal
deficit, turning a blind eye to corporate corruption, appointing
corporate cronies and recycled reactionaries to key government posts,
emergence of dissent among top military and policy brass, refusal to
offer claimed evidence to support government actions, contempt for
international law and international multilateral institutions, using
foreign policy and threats of military action for partisan political
electoral gains, threats of preemptive military attack, talk of
first-use of nuclear weapons even against small states that offer no
nuclear threat, and now the double standard regarding Korea compared
to Iraq has exposed the Bush administration for what it is to a
growing number of working people in general and union members in
particular.
Working people and the labor movement are seeing 75 years of progress
being unraveled, eroded and reversed. Put that on top of the
recollection that this administration was not elected by the people;
it was selected by the Supreme Court; and that it came to power on
the basis of stolen votes and manipulated balloting - and you have
plenty of reasons for lots of people from all walks of life to feel
everything from discomfort and doubt to open outrage.
Growing numbers have begun to see that when the government talks
about its capacity to conduct a multi-front war, what it has in mind
is both a war on the world and a war on workers.
There are different political currents within labor opposition.
Our task is to erect a tent that is large enough to include all of
them and the tens of thousands more who have yet to openly oppose the
war but who can be won to do so without asking anyone to abandon
their principles in order to come inside. What we seek is principled
unity. Rather than focus on our differences, lets concentrate on
finding the common ground we can all occupy as we build popular
resistance to this madness.
==========================================================
Who attended the USLAW founding meeting?
Here is a preliminary tabulation based on signup sheets. A more
complete analysis will be forthcoming after registration forms are
input and analyzed.
ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED:
Local Unions: 40
District/Regional Union Bodies: 16
National Unions 5
Central Labor Bodies 3
Antiwar Committees and other Orgs: 12
TOTAL 76
UNION MEMBERS AND STAFF ATTENDING:
Executive Officers (Pres., VP. Sec-Treas, Exec. Dir.) 31
Stewards/Delegates 10
Executive Board Members 4
Business Agents 3
Members 9
Staff 18
Political Action, Legislative, Policy Directors 7
Publication Editors, Communications Directors 2
Education Directors 2
Organizing Directors 1
Research Staff/Director 1
TOTAL 87
Census of Labor Organizations on Record Against War
(from information available prior to the meeting)
Central Labor Bodies:
Albany CLC
Duluth Central Labor Body
King County Labor Council
Monterey Bay CLC
Philadelphia Central Labor Council
Rochester CLC
Sacramento Labor Council
San Francisco Labor Council
Saratoga Labor Council
South Bay Labor Council
Troy CLC
Vancouver District Labor Council
Washington, DC CLC
State Federations:
California Federation of Labor
Hawaii State Federation
Washington State Labor Council
District/Regional Organizations:
1199/SEIU
AFSCME District 1707 Council
Bergen County Central Trades Council
CA Pipe Trades Council
California Federation of Teachers
California Faculty Association/SEIU Local 1983
California Nurses' Association
IAM District Lodge 77 Retirees
New Mexico Carpenters
New York State Nurses' Association
SEIU 1199 NE
SEIU 1199 PA
SEIU Wisconsin District
Wisconsin Federation of Teachers
National Organizations:
AFSCME International Exec. Bd.
Canadian Auto Workers
NWU/UAW Local 1981
Pride at Work
United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers
Local Organizations:
AFSCME Local 1549
AFSCME Local 1930, DC 37
AFSCME Local 215
AFSCME Local 304
AFSCME Local 3800
AFSCME Local 444
AFSCME Local 446/CSEA
AFT Local 1474, UC-Berkeley
AFT Local 1521
AFT Local 2026
AFT Local 2190/UUP, SUNY
AFT Local 2334, Professional Staff Congress, CUNY
AFT Local 4345
AFT Local 6
AFT/West Haven Federation of Teachers
Coalition of University Employees, Local 3
CWA Local 1180CWA Local 9423
HERE Local 2
HERE Local 5
IAM Local Lodge 459
ILWU Local 10
ILWU Local 5
ILWU Local 6
Millwrights' Local 2158
NALC Branch 214
Oakland Education Association
OPEIU Local 2
Painters and Tapers Local 913
Plumbers & Fitters Local 393
RWDSU Local 108
SEIU Local 250
SEIU Local 254
SEIU Local 535
SEIU Local 660
SEIU Local 715
SEIU Local 73
Teamsters Local 705
UAW Local 2865, Univ. of CA
UAW Local 600
United Brotherhood of Carpenters/New Mexico
United Teachers of Los Angeles
Census:
Locals 42
District/Regional 13
National 5
CLC 12
State Fed 5
Cmtes. 22
Indivs. 46
Locals: 9 AFT, 7 AFSCME, 6 SEIU, 3 ILWU, 2 CWA, 2 HERE, 2
UAW, 2 Independent
by affiliation 1 IAM, IBT, Plumber, UBC, Millwright, RWDSU, Painter,
OPEIU, NALC
Locals: 17 CA, 6 NY, 2 MN, 2 DC, 5 unknown
by state 1 CT, WA, HI, IL, MA, MI, NM, OR, PA, NJ
CLC: Albany, Duluth, Seattle/King Co., Monterey/Santa
Cruz, Philadelphia, Rochester, Sacramento, Saratoga, San Francisco,
So. Bay/San Jose, Troy, Vancouver, Washington DC
District/ 4 CA, 3 NY, 2 WI
Region 1 NJ, NM, MN, PA, Northeast
by state
Committees.: 4 CA, 2 Canada, 5 NY, 2 WA, 1 unknown
by state 1 OH, US, OR, MI, MA, IL, DC
==============================================================
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