Ronald Reagan started the corporate war on organized labor in America when he fired the striking air traffic controllers. Every Ameircan worker has suffered, because the AFL-CIO failed to effectively respond to Reagan's declaration of war against the labor movement.

Now, the Republican Party, the same people who brought us Richard "Tricky Dick" Nixon and Watergate, is trying to steal the 2000 presidential election.

Forget all talk of "no clear popular mandate." Senior GOP figures such as former Secretary of State George Schultz have made it clear that they expect the administration of George "Dubya" Bush to push ahead with their class war agenda, including a national right to work law.

Organized labor will have to stand up and fight the GOP class warmongers at some point. Let's do it now, before their illegal administration can become entrenched in power, with the full authority of the U.S. Constitution.

Let's do it now, when we will enjoy the full support of tens of millions of American voters, who have been robbed of their victory in the 2000 presidential election by the GOP's repugnant manipulation of the voting process in the state of Florida.

We in organized labor have been given an historic second chance to organize the unorganized, shoulder to shoulder with our 13.5 million members, to conduct a nationwide general strike. And, this time, our nation's very democracy might well be at stake. There is not a moment to lose. The AFL-CIO must immediately call a nationwide general strike, to last until it can be ensured that the will of the people of Florida in the 2000 presidential election has been expressed, free of intimidation, manipulation, or technical difficulties.