Open
World Conference of Workers
In Defense of Trade Union Independence & Democratic Rights
OWC Report on USLAW Labor Assembly for Peace (1)
Report on the USLAW Labor Assembly for Peace submitted by Alan Benjamin,
SF Labor Council delegate to the National Labor Assembly, and Ed
Rosario, GCIU Local 4-N president and delegate to the National Labor
Assembly
Dear Friends and Supporters of the Open World Conference (OWC):
As co-coordinators of the OWC Continuations Committee, which is based out
of the San Francisco Labor Council (AFL-CIO), we are issuing for the
information of all OWC supporters in the United States and around the
world this report on the US Labor Against the War's National Labor
Assembly for Peace, held in Chicago on October 24-25, 2003.
We are especially pleased to present this report below because-- as you
will see from the information and numerous attached documents -- this
Assembly marked a very important step forward for the U.S. and
international labor movements. Veteran Steelworkers Fightback leader Ed
Sadlowski captured the significance of the event when he told the closing
session of the Assembly on October 25th that this was, perhaps, the most
important labor gathering he had ever attended. Coming from a unionist of
his stature, someone with so many years of devoted struggle to the cause
of working people under his belt, this was no small statement.
[We should note that in the next day or two, the USLAW coordinators will
be issuing a full report on the National Assembly. We urge all of you to
go to the USLAW website at http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org
for a copy of the full report.]
At this writing, the USLAW credentials committee is still compiling the
final number of delegates in attendance and the estimated number of union
members represented by these delegates. According to a preliminary report
from the USLAW organizers, there were close to 200 delegates representing
several million union members. Those in attendance were delegated by the
following labor bodies:
- 56 local unions
- 14 intermediate labor bodies (central labor councils, state labor
bodies, etc.)
- 17 labor antiwar committees
- 8 national unions or allied labor organizations
- 5 local workers' centers
- 22 individual delegates from antiwar committees
It was, hence, a very representative gathering of labor delegates, all of
whom came together to establish a new and ongoing national labor antiwar
coalition. USLAW had formed in Chicago on Jan. 11, 2003, with the goal of
stopping the war on Iraq -- but now the task before this Labor Assembly
for Peace was to form a permanent antiwar labor organization, with a new
Mission Statement, possibly a new name, a new leadership structure, and a
new financial structure (based on individual memberships and union
affiliations).
As you will read below, all this was accomplished successfully in just one
day of deliberations!
The USLAW Mission Statement
We are attaching to this report [see Appendix One] the final
Mission Statement that was approved by the Assembly. We think you will
agree with us that this is a very significant document -- particularly
insofar as it emanates from a growing wing of the U.S. labor movement.
An initial draft of this text was crafted during various months of patient
and careful discussion by the USLAW Continuations Committee. It was then
submitted for discussion and further amendments to the delegates at the
Assembly in what was a very open and democratic process -- something that
was noted and commended from the floor by many delegates.
The two main focal points/demands of this Mission Statement -- End the
U.S. Occupation of Iraq/Bring the Troops Home Now! and Stop the War on
Working People at Home! -- provided the backdrop for the entire weekend of
discussions and instructed all the Assembly proceedings.
USLAW co-convener Bob Muehlenkamp put it this way in his opening keynote
address to the Assembly on Friday night (Oct. 24th):
"A year and a half ago, when trade unions started opposing the war,
we were on the cutting edge. But not so these days. The country has
changed in the last six months. We raised a lot of issues, and the Bush
policies are in shambles. We can move forward with confidence. A broader
spectrum of unions are in agreement with us.
"So what is our agenda? It is a strategic planning meeting ... in
just one day! First there is the adoption of our Mission Statement. Then
we must forge an action plan from our strategic Task Force meetings in
order to design a message for the audience. Then we must put together the
means to make it all happen. Our work is then to raise awareness in our
unions, to build participation and funding. We are today $11,000 in debt.
"This is not a speech-making meeting, but rather an organizing
meeting to unite around our program and figure out the resources to carry
it out. What we have accomplished in the last 10 months is incredible.
Without us where would be the voice of opposition in the labor movement?
"The two main focal points of all our work in this Assembly and after
that are (1) build working class oppostion to the occupation, bring the
troops home now, and (2) end the war at home against working families.
This connection -- the connection between foreign policy and the war at
home -- must be made by all of us in the trade unions but also in relation
to the communities of color, who are proportionately affected by this war.
We also have to affect a change in the political climate of this country
in this coming election year, challenging one and all to heed our antiwar,
pro-worker message."
What was significant about the Mission Statement adopted by the Assembly,
in our opinion, is that it asserted the independent, non-partisan and
united-front character of USLAW -- a stance which, we are convinced, can
serve as a lever for organizing a fighting coalition within labor against
the corporate-driven war on working people both at home and abroad.
In approving this Mission Statement the delegates acknowledged that the
trade unions, even those that had endorsed USLAW, would be endorsing and
stumping for the Democratic Party challenger to Bush in 2004 -- but they
also understood that USLAW, as such, had to remain non-partisan for it to
be an effective voice for change in the labor movement.
USLAW's stance in relation to the 2004 election year -- as articulated by
its main spokespersons -- can be summarized as follows:
USLAW will not endorse candidates or political parties, nor will it take
any position in relation to the 2004 election. Its role is to "change
the political climate" in the country by challenging all the
politicians to embrace the main planks of its Mission Statement (end the
occupation, bring the troops home, forge a new foreign policy based on
respect for the right to self-determination and national sovereignty,
etc.). Its role is to move the political discussion in this country toward
its antiwar and pro-worker agenda.
In our view, this is a very positive stance. It is one that will serve
USLAW well in the months and years to come.
Adopting a Name for the New Organization
One of the early points on the Assembly agenda was the adoption of a
name for the ongoing coalition.
This agenda item, in fact, provided one of the livelier discussions at the
Assembly. Five names -- all of which were finalists in an informal USLAW
website poll -- made it to the floor for a vote. Three of the names were a
variant of the USLAW theme. The two others replaced the concept of
"against the war" with the "for peace, jobs, justice and
prosperity" concept.
After a straw poll and a preliminary vote, two names faced off in the
final contest: US Labor Against the War (USLAW) vs. United Labor for
Peace, Jobs, Justice and Prosperity.
Partisans of the "Against the War" formulation argued it was
necessary to focus our fire against all the warmakers, whoever they might
be. This was an "endless war" against working people at home and
abroad, not just an episodic adventure turned bad in Iraq.
Partisans of the "For Peace, Jobs, Justice and Prosperity" name
argued it was necessary to be for something, and not just against
something. This would help us reach out to our political allies and to
build coalition with other progressive forces.
The final vote gave a substantial majority (approximately 60%) to the
backers of US Labor Against the War name -- which, accordingly, became the
name of the ongoing national antiwar coalition.
Discussion on Structure and Finances
For reasons of space, we are not attaching the Resolution on Structure
and Finances that was adopted by the USLAW Assembly. Nor are we including
the two forms regarding affiliation and associate membership in USLAW.
These important documents can be obtained by visiting the USLAW website at
http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org .
We urge all trade unionists, supporters of labor rights and labor antiwar
activists to get your unions and/or labor coalitions to affiliate with
USLAW. We also urge you to affiliate as individuals. Let us move quickly
in the weeks ahead to build USLAW and help make it a visible and fighting
force within the labor movement.
USLAW at this point is broke. It does not have the endorsement of the
national AFL-CIO leadership. It is not supported by any foundations. It is
a union-based coalition that needs to be supported by the union locals and
affiliates. This will ensure its independence. It will ensure that its
leaders are not beholden to any money sources outside the labor movement,
forces that could -- as is happening in so many other countries around the
world -- call the tune and derail it from its Mission Statement and
democratically decided objectives.
The National Labor Assembly called on all the delegates to help USLAW
raise money, dollar by dollar, to permit it to carry out its tasks with a
small staff. We in the OWC Continuations Committee endorse this call and
urge all our friends and supporters to do their best to help raise money
for USLAW from unions across the country.
There is no struggle more important for the labor movement today than the
struggle being waged by USLAW. It needs your support -- urgently!
Notes on Some of the Keynote Speeches and Campaigns
As noted above, the opening keynote speech on Friday night was by Bob
Muehlenkamp. The following day, other speakers were given extended time to
present greetings and statements. (In addition, an important solidarity
rally was held Saturday evening. The report on that rally will be
forthcoming.)
Presentation by Bill Fletcher
The next keynote speech, on Saturday morning, was by Bill Fletcher,
current director at the TransAfrica Fund and formerly a special advisor to
John Sweeney at the AFL-CIO.
We are attaching Brother Fletcher's full speech below as Appendix Two.
As you will readily understand, Fletcher's talk was received with a
standing ovation.
Presentation by Clarence Thomas and Campaign Against the Occupation and
For Labor Rights in Iraq
The next keynote presentation was by Clarence Thomas, a member of the
Executive Board of ILWU Local 10 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thomas and
David Bacon, a renowned Bay Area labor journalist and member of the
National Writers Union, were the two USLAW delegates who participated in
the International Labor Delegation to Iraq on October 8-15th sponsored by
USLAW, the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples (ILC),
and the International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions (ICATU).
Brother Thomas was given extended time to give a flavor for the situation
of labor rights in Iraq and to reiterate the two central demands of the
USLAW/ILC/ICATU Campaign: End the Occupation/Bring the Troops Home Now!
and Labor Rights for the Iraqi Workers! -- which includes repealing the
antilabor laws of the Saddam era that are still on the books, as well as
calling for the implementation of ILO Conventions 87, 98 and 138.
We are reprinting as Attachment Three a model resolution produced
by USLAW pertaining to this Campaign Against the Occupation and for Labor
Rights in Iraq. As you will see, this is one of the signature campaigns of
USLAW in the coming weeks and months.
We urge all OWC supporters to present the Model Resolution of this
campaign (end the occupation, for labor rights in Iraq) for a vote and
endorsement by your union and/or antiwar coaliton and/or community
organization.
Other campaign materials that are being worked on currently by the
International Solidarity/Labor Rights in Iraq Task Force include the
following:
(1) a USLAW petition against the occupation and for labor rights in Iraq
-- in support of which USLAW supporters are being asked to gather tens of
thousands of signatures.
(2) a fact sheet about the state of labor rights in Iraq that will be
printed on the back of the mass petition.
In addition, a Declaration of the International Campaign Against the
Occupation and For Labor Rights in Iraq has been prepared by USLAW and is
now being submitted for endorsement by the International Liaison Committee
and the International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions, before it is
distributed more widely around the world for endorsement by international
trade union federations, national unions and individual unionists. The
Declaration reasserts the main campaign demands (end the occupation and
labor rights for the Iraqi workers) and calls on unions to endorse a
delegation that will go to the ILO headquarters in Geneva in the coming
weeks to demand a full investigation into the violation of labor rights in
Iraq.
As you will be able to read in these documents, the Campaign is hoping to
generate enough pressure through the endorsing USLAW unions in the United
States to prompt Congressional representatives to hold hearings on the
violation of labor rights in Iraq.
Amy Newell, national organizer for USLAW, described the scope and
objectives of this campaign when she stated: "We think that exposing
the shocking violation of workers' rights in Iraq under the Occupying
Authority can become another nail in the coffin of the occupation itself,
and can be an important tool for winning over sections of the U.S. labor
movement that did not initially oppose the war but strongly support the
fundamental principle of labor rights. Most important,a successful
campaign will give the workers of Iraq the opportunityto build a strong
and independent labor movement with which to fight the occupation and
advance the interests of the Iraqi people as a whole."
Greetings from Julio Turra and Presentation by Daniel Gluckstein
Julio Turra (on behalf of the CUT trade union federation in Brazil)
and Daniel Gluckstein (on behalf of the ILC) were two scheduled
international speakers for the lunchtime break, along with David Bacon,
who showed slides and made additional remarks about the labor delegation
to Iraq and the situation of labor rights in that country.
Brother Turra was not able to make it to Chicago as he was in Bolivia over
the weekend meeting with Bolivian and Latin American trade union officials
and activists. But he did send an important letter, which was read to the
delegates from the podium. It was co-signed by Turra (in his trade union
capacity) and by Edgar Ramirez, one of the historic leaders of the
Bolivian Mineworkers Union and COB trade union federation.
We are reprinting this letter from Turra and Ramirez as Attachment Four.
Also included in this attachment is a brief cover letter to the delegates
from Julio Turra, as well as a letter to the USLAW Assembly from the
President and Secretary-Treasurer of the CUT trade union federation in
Brazil.
These last two letters -- along with other greetings to the Assembly from
Germany, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Japan, Spain and other
countries -- will be posted to the USLAW website shortly. They will also
be posted to the OWC website, which is http://www.owcinfo.org .
The presentation by Daniel Gluckstein -- coordinator of the ILC and also a
member of the Continuations Committee of the OWC -- focused on the
following points:
- Working people all over the world are resisting the imposition of U.S.
policies, including the war policies. He gave the example of the British
TUC vote against the occupation of Iraq and the large (40%) vote in
Blair's Labour Party calling for the withdrawal of British troops from
Iraq as well as the withdrawal/dismissal of Blair himself from the Labour
Party and government.
- The war on working people the world over takes many forms -- from war to
the imposition of "free trade" agreements, IMF structural
adjustment policies to the overall assault on national sovereignty and the
destruction of nations. In Bolivia it takes the form of the theft of
natural resources (first mining resources, now natural gas). In France and
the rest of Europe is the destruction of public enterprises and services
via the European Union.
- The campaign to End the Occupation of Iraq/For Labor Rights in Iraq is a
cutting-edge campaign for working people and trade unions in all
countries. We are at your side as we build this campaign.
- Working people around the world are looking to USLAW with great interest
and hope. Everywhere, USLAW is seen as a huge help to their own liberation
struggles.
Brother Gluckstein's presentation was also very well received.
Task Force Meetings & Discussion
Following the discussion of finances and structure, the Assembly
proceeded to the Task Force segment of the agenda.
Six Task Force meetings were held. All Task Forces were asked to come up
with a two- to three-point Action Plan centered on the overall political
themes of the Assembly: End the Occupation/Bring the Troops Home Now and
End the War on Working People at Home. All break-out groups were asked to
establish a network of activists, so that the Task Forces could become
ongoing action structures.
Following are the six Task Forces and some of the central action plans
that were developed (as reported by the Task Force representatives to the
plenary session following the Task Force meetings):
1) Vets and Military Families
- establish a speakers' bureau to speak at schools, union locals -- using
lit that exists and that USLAW would develop
- March 20 national event with other veterans' organizations
- encourage unions to guarantee benefits and wages to families with vets,
and the formation of veterans' committees, and support the right of the
military to organize and have a voice
2) Defend Social Programs and the Public Sector
- publicize the $87 billion and what it could buy here at home and connect
with allies
- teach-ins and action, like on tax day national action, to focus on where
our taxes are going
- Community Votes/the People Vote to show public support for peace and
social programs
[Note: Prior to the Assembly, an Education Workers Caucus was held
to build ongoing opposition to the war among teacher unionists across the
country. Documents from that caucus meeting will be posted to the USLAW
website, along with information on how you can join the caucus.]
3) Defend Immigrants and Communities of Color
- Black History Month -- against recruitment of high-school youth
- focus on unjust incarceration
- Amnesty for undocumented immigrant workers
[Note: A People of Color Caucus was formed at the Assembly to bring
the antiwar message to the most oppressed and exploited sectors of the
U.S. working class. We are attaching as Appendix Five the statement
of this Caucus, together with information about how you can reach the
Caucus conveners.]
4) Defend Civil Liberties
- information clearinghouse on website
- Task Force on Patriot Act needed
5) International Solidarity/Labor Rights in Iraq
The Action plan of this campaign was described above.
6) Education of the War and the Economy
- committee and listserve for education and materials for training
- foundation for materials and resources as the situation develops
In the coming weeks and months, this Action Plan will be finetuned by the
activists in the ongoing Task Forces. The USLAW Conveners urge all
unionists interested in joining one of these Task Forces to visit the
USLAW website for more information on how you can get involved.
A Few Concluding Remarks
These are just some of the highlights of the National Labor Assembly
for Peace. We may have left out other important information in this
report. If that is the case, we ask unionists who attended the Assembly to
please bring this to our attention. We would be glad to complete this
report with information you provide us.
Also, the full and official USLAW report will be available shortly.
This report was not intended to be either official or exhaustive. It is
simply a report by two participants in the Assembly.
We both were very excited by what transpired in Chicago over the weekend
of October 24-25. We think it represents a big step forward for both the
labor and antiwar movements in this country and around the world. We hope
some of this enthusiasm came across in this report.
We urge all friends and supporters of the OWC to get involved with this
effort. USLAW needs your support.
In solidarity,
Alan Benjamin and Ed Rosario
Co-coordinators,
Open World Conference Continuations Committee,
San Francisco Labor Council (AFL-CIO)
P.S. Please see Appendices 1-5 in separate OWC postings