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No New War Against Iraq

Two West Coast labor councils are resolved

1. The Washington State Labor Council takes a swipe at the AFL-CIO'sresponse to Iraq. Here are excerpts from its recent resolution.

"President Bush's ever-expanding 'war on terrorism' has been cynicallyused to justify a $48 billion hike in next year's military budget,bringing it to $383 billion, in addition to the $15 billion bailout ofthe airline industry and $25 billion in tax refunds for corporateAmerica. Congress is forcing union members and other working and poorpeople to pay for this war drive and subsidize corporate profits byraiding the Social Security Trust Fund and cutting funding foreconomically distressed states and vital government programs such assubsidies for low income housing and services to the homeless. Thebillions spent on armaments, domestic repression and bailouts could bebetter used to provide re-training programs and jobs to the 800,000workers across the nation who lost their jobs after September 11th.

In the aftermath of September 11th over 1,000 immigrants wereimprisoned in detention centers, thousands of airport workers (many ofthem immigrants of color) were fired simply because they were notcitizens, and Muslims, people of Middle Eastern descent and otherimmigrants suffered increased violence sparked by racial profiling bythe INS and FBI. The federal 'USA PATRIOT' anti-terrorism act andsimilar state measures undermine labor's right to organize and fightanti-immigrant attacks and other union-busting tactics by expandingthe government's ability to detain non-citizens based on meresuspicion, to conduct telephone and internet surveillance and secretsearches, and to define people engaged in political protest as'domestic terrorists.' The national AFL-CIO's uncritical support forthis profit-driven war has derailed labor opposition to increasedmilitary expenditures, corporate subsidies and government spying andprovided political cover for Democrats to jump on the anti-terrorismbandwagon.

Therefore, be it resolved that the Washington State Labor Councilexpand its efforts to defend civil liberties by taking the followingactions and urging the AFL-CIO to do the same:

Campaign for the repeal of the USA PATRIOT Act and defeat of similar"anti-terrorism" measures in state legislatures;
Pressure local and state law enforcement to refuse to cooperate withFBI spying on political, union, and anti-globalism activists or complywith INS harassment of Arabs and other immigrants and people of colorin the US;
Demand the immediate release of the hundreds of Middle Eastern, Araband other immigrants who are still being detained without due processand/or legal justification.

Be it finally resolved that the Washington State Labor Council urgesthe AFL-CIO and its affiliates to oppose the US government'sopen-ended 'war on terrorism' and participate in rallies, marches andother activities to pressure President Bush and Congress to stop thewar and redirect money from corporate handouts and the military budgetto assist laid-off workers."

2. The SF Labor Council opposes Iraq war and calls for the governmentto keep off the docks. Excerpts from its resolution here.

"The San Francisco Labor Council has for many years opposed the USbombing and sanctions against Iraq, which have resulted in direshortages of food and medicine and contributed to the deaths of over1,000,000 Iraqis including over 500,000 children. Now the BushAdministration is beating the drums for a new war against Iraq,despite mounting opposition to this war at home and abroad. In early1998 the US government's drive to launch a new war against Iraq wasabruptly halted by a rising opposition movement that included theInternational Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), the SanFrancisco Labor Council and other groups... which showed that the labormovement and people's movement do have the potential to force areversal of unjust government policies. Wasting billions of dollars onthe Iraq war buildup translates into cutbacks of essential andjob-producing social programs at home such as education, health care,social security and housing and threatening the rights of labor tostrike and organize.

The Bush Administration's war drive has a domestic component:threatening to turn his 'endless war' against the InternationalLongshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) and as an opening wedge against theentire labor movement by threatening government intervention on theWest Coast docks under the guise of 'Homeland Security,' on the sideof the Pacific Maritime Association bosses and a coalition ofanti-union corporate interests including WalMart and The Gap.

Therefore be it resolved that the San Francisco Labor Council,AFL-CIO, reaffirms and joins the growing movement in opposition to anyUS war against Iraq and calls on the unions and AFL-CIO at all levelsand Congressional representatives to publicly oppose this war. The SFLabor Council strongly condemns any attempt by the government, at anylevel, to introduce troops or otherwise intervene in the contractdispute between the ILWU and the employers, and calls on Congressionalrepresentatives to publicly oppose this interference.

Be it further resolved that the San Francisco Labor Council endorsethe 'Stop-the-War' marches and rallies taking place."