Northwest labor press., October 07, 2011, Page 8, Image 8

...AFL-CIO confab rallies the troops for work ahead
(From Page 1)
create jobs repairing pipes and upgrad-
ing water treatment facilities.
A delegation from Laborers Local
483 worked to pass a resolution to “pro-
mote a position of strength against con-
cessions” which was authored by some
Local 483 members who belong to a
committee of rank-and-file activists
from several unions. The resolution
called on the Oregon AFL-CIO to or-
ganize a committee to support massive
demonstrations and a sustained cam-
paign to tax banks, corporations, and
the wealthy, divert war spending to cre-
ate a national public works program,
and make education, infrastructure and
transit investments. After some debate,
it was passed in amended form: Instead
of forming a committee, the resolution
encourages the federation to work with
affiliates on the campaign.
Delegates approved a 10-month-
long special assessment on affiliated
unions totaling $4 per member which
will raise an estimated $420,000 for use
in the 2012 election cycle. They also ap-
proved an increase in regular monthly
dues, starting 2013, to $1 per member,
up from the current dues of 81 cents per
member. And delegates approved sev-
eral changes to the Oregon AFL-CIO
constitution to bring it into line with the
national AFL-CIO.
R ALLYING T HE T ROOPS
For local leaders and activists, part
of the appeal of attending a labor con-
vention is the chance to get fired up for
the work ahead. In this convention, ple-
nary speaker after speaker denounced
Wall Streeters for looting the economy.
That provided an unintentional mo-
ment of humor at one point. Just after
Chamberlain declared that the labor
movement isn’t afraid of Wall Street
bullies, loud alarms went off in the con-
PAGE 8
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
they don’t want to pay
vention hall, and blue
their fair share.”
lights flashed. Hilton
Sinclair closed a 20-
Worldwide is owned
minute oration with
by the Blackstone
what he learned from a
Group, one of the
union president at his
world’s largest private
first union convention
equity firms. Had the
— a labor leader who
corporate barons been
had spent a year and a
listening in? As it
half in jail because he
turned out, it was a
refused to take down a
scheduled test of the
picket line, saying
fire alarm system.
workers take down
Next up, Oregon
picket lines, not courts:
House Democratic
“He said to me, ‘There’s
Leader Tina Kotek of
two things you have to
Portland observed
learn if you want to help
that the wealthiest
people in America Karen Nussbaum of Work- the working class,’”
tend to complain of ing America said Oregon has Sinclair recalled. “The
“class warfare” when- organized 150,000 ‘com- working class didn’t get
a goddamned thing they
ever proposals arise to munity affiliates.’
didn’t fight for.… And
tax the rich.
“There’s been class warfare for a you don’t get to keep a goddamned
long time,” Kotek told delegates, “and thing unless you keep fighting.’”
Working America executive director
those who’ve been getting hurt have
Karen Nussbaum reported that her na-
been the middle class.”
From Canada, Jim Sinclair, presi- tional organization, which the AFL-
dent of the British Columbia Federation CIO describes as its “community affili-
of Labour, brought a message of soli- ate,” has organized 150,000 members in
darity for the struggle over Wisconsin Oregon. Working America operates a
one-to-one door-to-door canvass that re-
public sector union rights.
“We need to reject this division be- sults in two out of three households be-
tween the private sector and the public coming members, Nussbaum said.
sector,” Sinclair said. “Why are they at-
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tacking public sector workers? Because
OCTOBER 7, 2011