AUT: Fwd: Union meetings in US, UK oppose war, Bush and Blair

[Scott Hamilton <s_h_hamilton@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi lists,

Here are three encouraging reports from the US and UK
which show some of the growing union opposition to the
war drive and related anti-worker policies of Bush and
Blair. As far as I know, the anti-war language of both
the Teamsters and ILWU locals represents a departure
from the pro-war positions of their leaderships.
Let's hope they all turn out for the international day
of action on 26/10.

SH


BIG TEAMSTERS MEETING VOTES AGAINST WAR ON IRAQ

Please Forward far and wide!

On Sunday, October 18, Teamsters Local 705, at it's
general meeting, resolved to oppose Bush's drive  for
war against Iraq.

With over 300 members attending, the meeting
overwhelmingly approved a resolution proposed by
members  of the Uprise! group, and supported
by veterans, socialists, and the Secretary-Treasurer
Jerry Zero.

Teamsters Local 705, based in Chicago IL, is the
second largest Teamsters Local in the U.S, and among
the largest locals of any union in the
country. 705 was part of the historic 1997 UPS strike,
and  well known for assisting other area unions
struggling for justice.

The resolution reads as follows:

"Resolution Against the War

Whereas, we value the lives of our sons and daughters,
of our brothers and sisters more than Bush's
control of Middle East oil profits
Whereas, we have no quarrel with the ordinary
working-class men, women, and children of Iraq who
will  suffer the most in any war

Whereas, the billions of dollars being spent to stage
and execute this invasion, means billions taken
away from our schools, hospitals, housing, and social
security Whereas, Bush's drive for war serves as a
cover and a distraction for the sinking economy,
corporate corruption, lay-offs, Taft-Hartley (used
against the locked out ILWU longshoremen)

Whereas, Teamsters Local 705 is known far and wide as
fighters for justice Be it Resolved that Teamsters
Local 705 stands firmly against Bush's drive
for war

Further Resolved that the Teamsters Local 705
Executive Board publicize this statement, and seek
out  other unions, labor and community activists
interested in promoting anti-war activity in the labor
movement and community."

We ask all those who support and are encouraged by
this statement to contact Teamsters Local 705 to
offer support: Teamsters Local 705
312 738-2800 or www.teamsterslocal705.org
http://www.teamsterslocal705.org/




ILWU CALLS NATIONAL LABOR CONFERENCE TO OPPOSE BUSH


Dear
Brothers & Sisters,


We invite you and your union to participate with us in
a national labor conference on Saturday December 7,
2002 in San Francisco.

The use of the Taft-Hartley by the Bush administration
against the ILWU is a shot across the bow for
organized labor. Despite the fact that the
lockout was initiated by the Pacific Maritime Ass.
this government is acting as an enforcer for these
union busters. The Bush crew admits it
was having private meetings with some of the biggest
"union free" corporations in America in order to plan
strategy on how to defeat the
ILWU.

Additionally, according to the Wall Street Journal of
October 11, 2002 the Bush Administration is possibly
planning to use the Taft-Hartley against the UAW when
their contracts expire next year and many other
unions as well. They will seek to justify this because
of their war plans in Iraq.

As AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Richard Trumka has said
"If all employers know the administration will rush in
with Taft-Hartley to give them what
they want, they¹ll plot and scheme together, they¹ll
figure out what to do, and then the [collective
bargaining] process will be gutted. The
employers won¹t come and bargain in good faith because
there is no incentive to." Additionally,   Phillip
Murray of the CIO  said at the time of the passing of
this law that the act was "a Slave Labor Act." Jim
Spinosa, president of the ILWU also has said that  "We
fully expect PMA to use all the anti-union provisions
of the Taft-Hartley  injunction. ... Taft-Hartley
gives them 80 days of free shots at the union, and we
expect the employers will be dragging us to court
daily, trying to bankrupt the union and throw our
leaders in jail;"

The Bush cabal is now intent on busting the ILWU
similar to what Reagan did against PATCO union in
1981. He is already seeking to eliminate union
rights for 170,000 Federal workers with his union
busting "Homeland Security Department, forcing major
wage & contract concessions on tens of thousands of
airline workers including binding "baseball
arbitrations". He is intent on taking away every right
and condition won by labor during
the last 50 years.

Bush also intends to use his drive for war to justify
outlawing strike action. The proposed Maritime
Security Act and other such repressive
measures are aimed at weakening and destroying
organized labor. When the war starts, he may seek to
militarize the docks to break the ILWU. He has
now thrown down the gauntlet to all of organized
labor. The QUESTION is what will organized labor and
the communities do to answer this
challenge?

Only with the help of you and your union can we avoid
being sitting ducks as the Bush administration plans
to break our unions. At our conference we plan to
discuss and lay-out a fight back strategy that
includes
education, media strategies and action to defend the
ILWU and other unions who come under attack. This will
include the fight against union busting not only with
the Taft-Hartley in maritime but other
transportation industries, privatization, contracting
out and the struggle to organize the millions of
unorganized workers. We need to prepare now to go on
the offensive. We cannot allow the ILWU to be picked
off and then for Bush to go after the next union. We
plan to have workshops on the Taft-Hartley, the
Maritime Security Act. Developing A Labor Media
Campaign and how to develop a strategy to take on
these
robber barons. We need to be ready now for action when
the Taft-Hartley expires. We also need to learn the
lessons of the successful fight for the Charleston 5
in South Carolina and build on this not only
nationally
but internationally.

You and your union can play an important part in this
effort. Please endorse this conference and send
delegates. Also a financial contribution
to make this conference a success are absolutely
critical.

We are also planning to have a Northern California
Transportation Workers Solidarity Rally on the evening
of December 7 and hope you can attend
this as well at Mission High  in San Francisco

Please let us know if you can endorse this conference
and how many delegates will be attending. We are
asking for a registration of $25.00 a
delegate. Also please let contact us if you are
interested in getting regular information on the
battle against the Taft-Hartley and union
busting and if you want to be on our email list.


In Solidarity,

ILWU Local 10
MEBA GCIU Local 4
Port Workers Solidarity Committee


BRITISH UNIONISTS RALLY FOR FIRE FIGHT WITH BLAIR

150 trade unionists attended an important meeting in
London tonight (Monday October 21st),as a national
firefighters strike looms within the next week.

The "London Public Sector Alliance" which unites the
London Regions of the Communication Workers' Union
(CWU), Fire Brigades Union(FBU),Rail Maritime &
Transport Union (RMT), UNISON, National Union of
Teachers(NUT) and National Association of Teachers in
Further & Higher Education (NATFHE) organised a
meeting in solidarity with the firefighters at NATFHE
Headquarters. It was addressed by Andy Gilchrist, the
General Secretary of the FBU as well as London
representatives of the RMT, NUT and UNISON.

As Andy Gilchrist made clear, attempts at serious
negotiations with the employers on firefighters pay
had broken down.  Today's meeting with Labour minister
Dick Raynsford had brought no new offers on pay,
but a demand that they offer assistance with
emergencies in the event of a strike.  "We are going
on strike..." he said.."the employers have
7 days to make a serious offer." The firefighters are
demanding £30,000 per annum, about the same as a
London Tube driver.

Their current average pay is just over £20,000 and
many firefighters are moonlighting in second jobs and
working weekends to make ends meet.  87% of them voted
in favour of strike action in support of their claim
in an 83% poll, giving the union an overwhelming
mandate for action.

The reactionary "London Evening Standard" and liberal
"Guardian" have already begun a smear campaign against
the firefighters and the support they are getting from
militant RMT leader Bob Crow.
"Anyone here from the Standard?" asked an RMT speaker.
"if there is, we ought to elect a workers' militia to
take them outside and give
them a good kicking".

Candy Udwin from UCH donated an I.O.U for £1500 to the
FBU and said that they have 100% support from the
public. "The government is intervening because they
want to hold the line in the public sector. They gave
the forces £3.5 billion, the police get
£6,000 London Weighting allowance, but public sector
workers can't afford to live in London.  Troops are
being readied to fight in Iraq
and to man the Green Godesses (ageing army fire
tenders)  Working
people need to fight on both fronts.

Bernard Regan of the NUT executive argued that the
miners lost because the unions didn't build the
solidarity necessary to defeat the Tories.
 He predicted that perhaps 50,000 teachers from 3
unions could be on strike across London by late
November.

A sucession of strikes by the FBU, NATFHE and NUT are
scheduled between November 2nd and 26th.  Meanwhile,
the RMT has refused to staff trains when there is no
fire cover and many other union reps
will challenge Health and Safety regulations and argue
for walkouts.

A network of firefighters support groups is growing
across the capital, with union branches twinning with
their local fire station, collecting money and
organising speakers.  This was reflected in the
large number of contributions from the audience.
Numerous speakers related their experiences of
building grass-roots support and challenging employers
to indemnify them against responsibility for
accidents. (Current Health & Safety legislation
off-loads an increasing share of the blame onto lower
level supervisors and staff grades)

However, a more political question and one more
central to the question of whether the firefighters
can avoid the fate of the miners, is the question of a
London wide General strike by the public sector.
There are a plethora of disputes simmering over Pay,
Private finance, casualisation and misuse of agency
staff, all of which have equally serious implications
for Health, Education, Local Government and Civil
Service workers.

The firefighters are universally admired and easy to
support, but the key to victory is developing an
offensive, not a defensive campaign. One that
challenges the New Labour agenda head on, both in its
support for Privatisation and Blair's unquestioning
obedience to his masters' voice in Washington over the
threat of war. The Public sector unions and Blairism
are on a head-on collision course.

AP








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