National Labor Rank and File Conference
WHEN:November 4 & 5 2006
WHERE:American Postal Workers Union hall
1717 South Broadway St Louis, Missouri.

Trade unionists from throughout the US will be meeting in St. Louis on November 4th and 5th to discuss the lessons of recent and past struggles and how labor should go on the offensive including the use of new communication technology to advance the interests of labor.

Millions of workers in the United States workers have lost their pensions, healthcare benefits and now face the Wal-Martization of the economy with no future for themselves or their children. Despite the labor movement putting hundreds of millions of dollars into political campaigns for the Democrats and some Republicans, labor and the trade union movement face a growing crisis of union busting, wage cutting and outsourcing.

This conference will include unionists who work or have worked at Chrysler, Caterpillar, Budweiser, Celanese, Accuride and other companies in the US. Trade unionists from the UBC, IUOE, AFT, UAW, IBT, Boilermakers and others will report on what issues their unions are facing and how to confront the problems.
The conference will also discuss the need for a democratic revitalization of labor so working people can have accountability and transparency in the operation of their unions. Business unionism now dominates most unions and participants will discuss how this has affected labor and how workers and trade unionists can make changes.

The conference will also discuss the formation of a national labor action network that will provide solidarity and direct action in support of striking and locked out workers and in defense of democratic rights of workers on the job and off the job.

November 4&5, 2006 St. Louis, MO
Nat Labor Rank and File Conference
Learn The Lessons Of The Past For The Struggles Today!

Conference Agenda

Nov 4, 2006

8:00 am---9:00 Registration

9:00--12:00 am ----- Introductions & Lessons from our past, woes of the present

Panelists -- Larry Solomon--Former UAW Local 1051 President From Caterpillar
[retired]

Mike Griffin "WarZone" Education Foundation

Billy Robinson, Former president UAW local 2036 at Accuride Wheel

Tina Battefeld--- Boilermakers Union at Celanese in Meridosia IL

David Sladky---The Lessons At Budweiser, Teamster Distributors and the IBT

12:00 - 1:00 PM Noon Lunch Break {local Restaurants}

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Where Do We Go From Here

Panelists—

Rob Wilson UAW at Caterpillar

Tim Kaminski, UAW at Chrysler

Steve Zeltzer, Operating Engineers San Francisco

David Johnson, Carpenters Champaign IL

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Dinner

5:30 PM - 8:30 PM Labor videos in the hall and
report on Labor Media and technology with David Johnson, Chris Kaihatsu and Steve Zeltzer focusing on how to do a community access tv show, how to use the internet and alternative media and editing.
Videos will include actions of auto workers in Detroit, how to start a labor community access tv program and other labor struggles. Possible screening of Five Factories and videos on US Labor Struggles.

Nov 5, 2006

9:00 -12:00 Open Conference Discussion Presentation an Voting of
Resolutions & Actions


Registration fee-$10-$20 Sliding Scale Strikers and Locked Out Workers
Free/No one turned away due to lack of funds.

Conference free to Striking, locked-out and unemployed workers.

www.laboraction.org


November 4&5, 2006 St. Louis, MO
Nat Labor Rank and File Conference
Learn The Lessons Of The Past For The Struggles Today!
For A United Fightback For Our Rights and Power!




The good ship Labor is sinking and sinking fast while the so-called leaders of two deeply divided factions scramble to the bow to surrender to America’s ruthless employers.

On one side, the AFL-CIO who promised a new voice for America’s workers, has developed laryngitis and is doing nothing to fight for existing jobs or organize the unorganized. Totally void of democracy, effective fight-back strategies, or the will to involve or mobilize rank and file members, the AFL-CIO has refused to take action against the war in Iraq,the US supported Israeli attack on Lebanon and the Palestinians, the Patriot Act, and the devastating effects of Free Trade Agreements.

On the other side, the Change to Win Coalition CTW is sailing full steam ahead to Company Unionism, consolidating local unions, destroying rank and file democracy, and pirating union values to greedy, ruthless employers. SEIU, Carpenters, HERE-UNITE [Hotel Workers]and others in this sell out crowd are consolidating locals, disenfranchising their members, cozying up to employers, raiding work belonging to other unions, and representing employers against the interests of dues paying members.

The Labor Action Coalition is this type of network and invites non unionized workers to participate in this conference and become members of the LAC in order to raise the level of militancy and organization across the country.

Rebuilding our precious unions must be driven from the bottom up. Labor and social activists must build a network to challenge labor’s frauds, provide support for striking and locked-out workers, and in the streets action to battle ruthless employers.

Join this important conference, share your ideas and help build this rank and file coalition. Join with the Labor Action Coalition [LAC], the War Zone Education Foundation and other rank and file groups and play an important role to get labor back on track. At P-9, Detroit News Strike, Staley, Caterpillar and Firestone in Decatur IL, and many other major struggles, it was the activist community that provided key support. We need to drastically expand this support and it will only happen if ordinary workers take the initiative.

Join us in St Louis Missouri on November 4th and 5th to put the fight back in our union movement; to force our so-called leaders to hear our voices, represent us, and stand against our Corporate Government’s aggression towards workers worldwide.

Nov 4th and 5th 2006 American Postal Workers Union hall
1717 South Broadway St Louis, Missouri.
For more information contact: St. Louis 314-772-1970. Bay Area 415-867-0628 Midwest 217-428-6372 , 217-370-9778 , 309-224-7840, 773-935-5255 NY 212-864-7595
www.laboraction.org

National Rank and File Labor Conference
Help Save the Good Ship of Labor