| Organized
Labor Forms National Antiwar Organization
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 administration's
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 "U.S. Labor Against the War' (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.
Census of
Labor Organizations on Record Against War
(from information available prior to the meeting)
Central Labor Bodies
Albany CLCDuluth
Central Labor BodyKing
County Labor Council
Monterey Bay CLC
Philadelphia Central Labor Council
Rochester CLCSacramento 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
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