Troy Davis’ sister speaks at ILWU convention

Martina Davis-Correia, the sister of Georgia death row prisoner Troy Anthony Davis, addressed the delegates at the 34th International Longshore and Warehouse Union Convention in Seattle on June 10. She called for support of a resolution entitled “Racist Oppression and the Death Penalty.”

Martina Davis-Correia

The resolution, which was submitted by ILWU Local 10, reaffirms the union’s opposition to the death penalty, supports a lawsuit on behalf of Davis-Correia’s brother and demands freedom for Mumia Abu-Jamal, Troy Davis, Kevin Cooper, Leonard Peltier and the San Francisco 8.

Resolutions to free the Cuban Five and to end the blockade of Cuba were also introduced and were passed unanimously.

Davis-Correia thanked the ILWU for permitting her to speak and acknowledged how the ILWU’s slogan, “an injury to one is an injury to all,” really resonated with her. She praised the union for its history of fighting for social justice.

Davis-Correia told the delegates: “It’s so refreshing when I come out here and I see people on the West Coast. I see this union and see Black, White, Hispanic and Asian all fighting for human rights and speaking up. I applaud you because I don’t see that in my community. ... I ask you to stand up with us and to encourage other labor unions around the country to stand with us to fight against the death penalty and to save Troy Davis and other innocent people who are in jail and possibly facing execution.”

Jack Heyman, ILWU Local 10 Caucus and Convention delegate, introduced Davis-Correia to the important international labor leaders attending the conference: Itoh Akinobu, president of the Zenkowan Japanese Dock Workers Union; Paddy Crumlin, general-secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia; and Richard Hughes, president of the International Longshore Association. Akinobu and Crumlin assured Davis-Correia that they would get their respective unions to support Davis. Hughes made a commitment to put information about the case on the ILA Web site.

The delegates gave Davis-Correia a standing ovation. Some delegates were moved to tears when she told of the saga of Troy Davis—who has faced three execution dates—to prove his innocence before he is executed. Copies of her remarks were made available to the delegates.

If the state believes the defendant received a fair trial, then it does not consider it unconstitutional to execute an innocent person.

To learn more about the Davis case, go to www.troyanthonydavis.org.

Thomas is a board member of ILWU Local 10 and co-chair of the< Million Worker March Movement.