U.S. workers ignite struggle
Union membership is a human right
Special to Workers World
"Workers' rights are human rights" was the
theme of actions held across the United States to mark
International Human Rights Day, Dec. 10.
The United Nations Universal Decla ra tion of Human Rights
was signed on that date in 1948. This year, the AFL-CIO and its
member unions used the occasion to push for changes in
undemocratic U.S. labor laws, focusing on the right to join
unions.
Specifically, the actions promoted passage of the Employee
Free Choice Act intro duced by Sen. Edward Kennedy. The act
seeks to establish workers' basic rights to join unions and
bargain collectively around the world, as a measure to rein in
worker abuses under U.S.-sanctioned "free market" agreements
like NAFTA and FTAA.
Though the act was introduced with a view to other
countries, workers in the United States know how difficult it
is to organize right here--where corporations attempt to
discourage union ization by terrorizing workers with the fear
of losing their jobs. The AFL-CIO hopes to use the legislation
to protect and extend the right to organize within U.S.
borders.
EFCA would sanction card-check union campaigns. Once the
majority of workers at a company have signed cards, contract
negotiations must begin. This would deny employers the chance
to run stall-and-scare tactics to keep workers from
unionizing.
New York, D.C.
In New York City, some 700 unionists joined a Dec. 10 rally
on Wall Street. There were strong contingents from UNITE, the
Service Employees and Laborers Local 79, along with doctors and
teachers.
Members of the group Jobs with Justice carried a puppet
depicting the National Labor Relations Board's pro-boss bias.
The group led a contingent to sit in at the NLRB office to
demand unbiased decisions in labor disputes.
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., some 1,200 workers rallied
in front of the Department of Labor. Area workers are engaged
in some tough battles that were highlighted at the rally.
Government Employees President John Cage condemned the Bush
administration's attacks on federal workers, highlighting the
fight to stop the privatization of 700,000 federal jobs.
AFSCME President Gerald McEntee pointed out, "The
administration is trying to take away overtime for 8 million
workers, a right we fought and died for."
Washington Metropolitan AFL-CIO President Josh Williams
embraced Evelyn Thomas, a 10-year veteran of Sterling Laundry.
Thomas spoke about the battle of her fellow workers to win
union recognition. Several hundred laundry workers in D.C. have
been on strike for over eight weeks. Thomas said the company's
owner had vowed "to burn the laundry" rather than allow the
workers union rights.
Food and Commercial Workers signs in solidarity with
striking and locked-out grocery workers in Southern California
asked people not to shop at Safeway stores.
California: Latin@s mobilize
Activists in San Francisco and throughout California held
rallies Dec. 10 in support of labor rights and many other
human-rights struggles, including disabled rights and
prisoners' rights. The Bay Area hosted a daylong succession of
protests.
Most of these rallies focused their attention on Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger, who after less than a month in office has
already proposed Draconian cuts to services affecting some of
the most oppressed communities.
Then, on Dec. 12, Latin@s throughout California participated
in an economic boycott to protest Schwarzen egger's repeal of a
law allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's
licenses. The boycott, planned to coincide with the Feast of
the Virgin of Guadalupe, asked Latin@s to refrain from shopping
and to stay home from work or school.
In San Francisco, many restaurants and businesses shut down
for the day. Others were forced to limit their services due to
lack of workers. A large group of Latin@s marched through the
Mission District for hours to bring attention to their
cause.
Sharon Black, Greg Butterfield, LeiLani Dowell and
Patricia Hilliard contributed to this article.
Reprinted from the Dec. 25, 2003, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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