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LOCAL Announcement :: Labor

J24-25: National Rank and File Conference and Demo at AFL-CIO Convention in Chicago: Take Back Our Unions!


When: Sunday, July 24 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson
(just west of the Red Line Wilson Ave. stop; about 7 blocks West of the Outer Drive (Lake Shore Drive) exit at Wilson Ave., Chicago, Illinois)
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Stop The Union Busting!
It Is Time To Take Back Our Unions

When: Sunday, July 24 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson

( just west of the Red Line Wilson Ave. stop; about 7 blocks West of the Outer Drive (Lake Shore Drive) exit at Wilson Ave., Chicago, Illinois )

On July 24, 2005 trade unionists and workers from throughout the country will meet to discuss the crisis facing the AFL-CIO and how working people can take back their unions. The failure of the AFL-CIO to organize the many millions of unorganized workers in the US and to defend those in unions from pension terminations, healthcare cutbacks and a declining standard of living is a direct result of the corporate structure of the trade unions in the U.S.

The AFL-CIO has also refused to oppose the imperial wars in the Middle East and continues to take funding for international operations from the US government under the National Endowment For Democracy (NED) program. The current "debate" in the AFL-CIO is organizational discussion about moving the "chairs on the sinking titanic". The AFL-CIO is structured as a top down corporate dues collecting agency whose primary function is providing millions of dollars of union dues to corporate controlled politicians. It has failed to oppose and expose the growing racism in the workplace and communities and has been silent on the growing repressive legislation from the so called "Patriot Act" to other laws that will be used against working people.

This conference will have reports from workers on these issues and will discuss a program and agenda to revitalize the labor movement.

Reports will be made on AFSCME, CWA, Teamsters, SEIU, UBC, NALC and many other unions around the country.

PARTICIPANTS:

Mike Griffin, War Zone Education Foundation-UBC-War Zone
Rafeeq Palel, Teamster Retired DHL Chicago
Tim Kaminski, UAW 110 Chrysler Member,
Kim Scipes, Labor Educator on AFL-CIO and International politics
Barb Ingals, CWA ITU Detroit (invited) Lessons of Newspaper strike (invited)
Earl Silbar, AFSCME 3506 Chicago Community Colleges
Steve Zeltzer, IUOE 39 Labor Action Coalition, Labor Politics
Sue Smith, Injured AFSCME District Council 31 member and staff workers
Larry Soloman, UAW-CAT 751 Retired Past President, Protecting Pensions
David Johnson, UBC Witchhunts in Labor,
Giselle Quesada, CWA 9410 Steward fight against CWA: Two Tier & Outsourcing
Todd M. Jordan Future of Union.com organizational director UAW 292, Lessons from Brazil
Mary Ann Ring, CUE UCSF Steward & N. Cal Chair Democratic unionism (invited)
Dina Padilla, Injured hospital workers SEIU 250 and Pres of Voices Best Chapter California-Advocacy For Injured
David Williams, AFSCME retired -Role Of Israel & AFL-CIO & Palestine
Harry Kelber, Labor Educator-Union Democracy & AFL-CIO and candidate for Executive Bd AFL-CIO
Carl Bryant, NALC 214 Privatization Attack on Postal Workers

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

9:00 AM: Registration

9:30 AM: Introductions and Welcoming

9:45 AM: Panels

Health Care:
Tim Kaminsky, UAW Chrysler
Dina Padilla, Injured worker SEIU 250
Sue Smith, Injured Worker AFSCME

Pensions:
Larry Soloman, UAW CAT

Lessons of Union Busting Attacks, Two Tier & Privatization:
Giselle Quesada, CWA SBC
Barb Ingalls, CWA Detroit
Carl Bryant, NALC 214

Racism and Discrimination on the Job:
Rafeeq Palel, IBT Chicago DHL
Mary Ann Ring, CUE UCSF (invited)

Internationalism, Solidarity. Wars and Lessons Of International Labor:
David Williams, AFSCME retired
Kim Scipes, Labor Historian
Todd Jordan, Future Of Union UAW 292

11:00 AM: Discussion

12:00-1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00-1:30 PM: Video Presentations

Lessons of 1930s and Lessons of Workers Around The World Today
Short segments of video including:
  • Labor's Turning Point
  • SF General Strike
  • On The Right Track about the Korean railway workers
  • The Gas Is Not For Sale-Boliva
  • Argentina Occupations
    Followed by a brief presentation of the lessons learned.

    1:30 PM: Discussion

    2:00-4:00 PM: Panel

    The AFL-CIO Crisis and where do we go from here?
    Mike Griffin, War Zone Education Foundation
    Steve Zeltzer, IUOE, Labor Action Coaliton
    Harry Kelber, Only announced candidate For Executive Board AFL-CIO - www.laboreducator.org
    David Johnson, UBC Champaign, Illinois
    To be announced - AFSCME 3506 Speaker

    3:30 PM Proposals For Action

    4:00 PM: Adjourn

    4-5:00 PM: Informational Demonstration at Navy Pier: Transform AFL-CIO Foreign Policy Program into Genuine International Labor Solidarity!

    - We will support the demonstration and rally in support of the resolution "Building Unity and Trust Among Workers Worldwide" -- adopted by the California State AFL-CIO -- that calls on AFL-CIO to open the doors on its international ‘solidarity’ practices that led it to help try and overthrow the elected Chavez government in Venezuela. This is seen as an important step toward transforming the AFL-CIO foreign policy program into a force for genuine international labor solidarity. - Read More

    7:00 PM: Film and Discussion, "Waging a Living", UE Hall, 37 So. Ashland, 7-9 PM. - Read More

    Partial list of participants and endorsers: LAC, AFSCME 3506 Rafeeq Palel, Teamster UPS Chicago, Tim Kaminski, UAW 110 Chrysler Member, Mike Griffin, UBC, War Zone Foundation, Kim Scipes, Labor Educator on AFL-CIO and International politics Barb Ingals, CWA ITU Detroit (invited)Alfredo Pena, AFSME154 Steward Jeffrey Blankfort, Former Editor Of Middle East Labor Bulletin (invited), Earl Silbar, AFSCME 3506 Chicago Community Colleges, Steve Zeltzer, IUOE 39 Labor Action Coalition, Sue Smith, Injured AFSCME District Council 31 member and employee,, Larry Soloman, UAW-CAT 751 Retired Past President, David Johnson, UBC44, Giselle Quesada, CWA 9410 Steward, Todd M. Jordan Future of Union.com organizational director and member UAW 292, Mary Ann Ring, CUE UCSF Steward & N. Cal Chair (invited), Jim Griffin, Detroit MWM Committee, and Co-Organizer, Socialist Party of Michigan*, Transport Workers Solidarity (TWSC), Janice Rothstein, L.V.N., AFSCME 3299 UCSF, Dina Padilla, Injured hospital workers SEIU 250 and Pres of Voices Best Chapter California-Advocacy For Injured Workers By Injured Workers, Jack Heyman ILWU Local 10 Executive Bd Member, NYC Working People's Voice * For information only

    Contacts:
  • Chicago, Ill 773-935-5255
  • Decatur, Ill 217-428-6372
  • Champaign, Ill 217-356-8247
  • St. Louis, MO 314-895-2762
  • New York 212-864-7595
  • San Francisco (415)867-0628
  • East Bay 510-531-0416
  • Los Angeles Area 714-595-3627
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