Attacked, then arrested
Labor to rally in Columbia, S.C., in support of Black
dockworkers
Special to
Workers World
The demand to drop frame-up charges against the
"Charleston 5" will be the focus of a massive labor and
community march on the state capitol in Columbia, S.C., on
June 9.
The Charleston 5 are African American dockworkers, members
of International Longshore Association Local 1422 in
Charleston, S.C. They were hit with felony charges after
resisting a massive police attack on their union's picket
line in January 2000.
The five indicted workers, who include Local 1422
President Ken Riley, are each facing up to five years in
jail.
The case has become a focal point for defense of Black and
union rights in the South. Many see a victory in this case as
key to organizing the historically super-exploited region.
Support has been steadily building around the country and
beyond, with plans for an international dockworkers' strike
to take place on the first day of the trial.
The South Carolina AFL-CIO has formed a Campaign for
Workers' Rights in South Carolina to build support for the
five.
A May 1 letter from the campaign calling for support for
the June 9 mobilization is signed by Donna DeWitt, president
of the South Carolina AFL-CIO; Rep. Joe Neal, chair of the
state's Legislative Black Caucus; and Local 1422 President
Ken Riley. DeWitt and Neal are co-chairs of the South
Carolina Progressive Network, a 41-member labor/community
coalition.
The letter read in part, "At a picket of a nonunion ship
unloading at the Charleston docks in January 2000, 130
protesting longshoremen were met by 600 riot-equipped police.
The police had armored cars, armored horses, dogs,
helicopters, concussion grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets
to break the picket line. The state's policy was to keep the
port open at all costs.
"After Charleston police arranged to drop the misdemeanor
charges against protesters in return for community service,
the State Attorney General stepped in and indicted five
longshoremen on felony riot charges. Attorney General Charlie
Condon is running for governor and has called for 'jail, jail
and more jail' for the union protesters."
Condon was George W. Bush's campaign manager for South
Carolina and also served on his presidential transition
team.
The letter stressed, "If the International Longshoremen's
Association--the oldest and largest African American union in
the state--falls victim to this politically motivated attack,
all workers will suffer."
The predominantly Black Local 1422 played a prominent role
in the struggle last year to remove the racist Confederate
battle flag from the dome of the state Capitol. It was just
after the massive 47,000-strong march in Columbia against the
flag on Jan. 17 that the police attacked the union's picket
line. They had waited until after the march in order to be
able to attack the picket line at full strength.
Riley explained the political nature of the charges in a
recent interview with Dianne Mathiowetz, an auto worker and
member of UAW Local 10 in Atlanta.
"ILA Local 1422 is a predominately African American
union," he said, "and we are active in the community and in
state politics. Our union hall is used by many community
groups in Charleston for their meetings and events. We are
proof that working under a union contract can provide a
living wage and that being organized means having political
influence. That fact is what has scared those who want to
maintain the old ways."
The full text of the interview is available at
www.iacenter.org/labor.htm, which will also be posting
details about the June 9 solidarity march.
In addition to the case of the Charleston 5, the march
will address the issue of intensified attacks on the labor
movement in South Carolina, which already has the lowest
percentage of unionized workers in the country. With less
than 4 percent of their ranks organized into unions, South
Carolina workers earn an average of 20 percent less than
workers nationally.
In the past two months bills have passed one or both
chambers of the state legislature that would forbid local
cities from enacting "living wage" ordinances, prevent
members of ports-related unions from serving on the State
Ports Authority Board, and strengthen the state's anti-
union laws by making employers liable for fines if workers
complain about union organizing on the job.
The national AFL-CIO is supporting the march, as are the
state AFL-CIO federations of Georgia and North Carolina.
Tentative speakers include national AFL-CIO president John
Sweeney and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
For more information contact the Campaign for Workers
Rights in South Carolina care of the South Carolina AFL-CIO
at (803) 798-8300.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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