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In solidarity with the ILWU, the General
Union of Port Workers in Iraq will stop work for one hour on May Day in the
ports of Umm Qasr and Khor Al Zubair.
Resolution of ILWU Longshore Caucus calling for "No Peace - No Work!" on May Day
May Day Greeting from Iraqi Port Workers to ILWU Members
Resolution of APWU NY Metro Supporting ILWU May Day Call
Million Worker March Open Letter Supporting ILWU May Day Call
California Federation of Teachers Supports May Day Protest
Letter from Cindy Sheehan to ILWU
Longshore Workers Strike Against War
IVAW Applauds ILWU May Day Ports Shutdown Against War
The San Francisco branch of both APWU and NALC (Local 214) have voted to observe two minutes of silence on May Day in solidarity with actions being taken by ILWU.
16 April 2008
Vermont
AFL-CIO calls on workers to support West Coast strike against war
by Vermont AFL-CIO
The Executive Board of the
Vermont AFL-CIO, representing thousands of workers in countless sectors across
Vermont, have unanimously passed an historic resolution expressing their
“unequivocal” support for the first US labor strike against the war in Iraq.
Montpelier,
VT –The Executive Board of the Vermont AFL-CIO, representing thousands of
workers in countless sectors across Vermont, have unanimously passed an historic
resolution expressing their “unequivocal” support for the first US labor strike
against the war in Iraq. The strike, being organized by the Longshore Caucus of
the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU), will seek to shutdown
all west coast ports for a period of 8 hours on the day of May 1st 2008. The
Vermont AFL-CIO is the first state labor federation to publicly back the
Longshoremen; other state federations are expected to follow.
The
resolution, among other things, calls the war in Iraq “immoral, unwanted, and
unnecessary”, states that the vast majority of working Vermonters oppose the
war, and contends that the war will only be brought to an end by “the direct
actions of working people.” Many other Vermont labor unions and organizations,
including the Vermont Workers’ Center, have also made official statements
condemning the war.
The
resolution also calls on working Vermonters to “discuss the actions of the
Longshoremen, to wear anti-war buttons, and to take various actions of their own
design and choosing in their workplace on May 1st,
2008.”
“Workers in
Vermont and all across this nation are against this war. We have already
demanded that the government end it, but they have consistently failed to heed
our words. Therefore working people are beginning to take concrete steps to make
our resistance known. If the war does not immediately end we, the unions and
working people of Vermont, will also be compelled to take appropriate action,”
said David Van Deusen, a District Vice President of the Vermont
AFL-CIO.
Traven
Leyshon, President of the Washington, Lamoille & Orange County Central Labor
Council, AFL-CIO, said, “Vermont labor has long called for an end to this war.
The untold billions being spent on the war could instead be used to address our
domestic needs. It is working people who pay the cost of the war - in some cases
with our lives, but always with our sacrifices.”
***
Vermont
AFL-CIO Resolution
In Solidarity
With Longshoremen’s
West Coast
Strike Against War
April,
2008
Whereas the
war in Iraq is immoral, unwanted, and unnecessary,
Whereas this
unjust war is opposed by the great majority of Americans & Vermonters, the
bulk of organized labor, and by thousands of enlisted military
personal,
Whereas this
unjust war has already resulted in over 4000 American dead (including a
disproportionate number of brave Vermonters), and tens of thousands of service
men & woman being wounded,
Whereas this
unjust war has further resulted in untold number of Iraqi deaths,
Whereas the
Federal Government has not made any constructive moves towards the ending of
this war and the full removal of US troops, and instead has taken the course of
escalation and indefinite occupation,
Whereas the
government of Vermont, and especially Governor Jim Douglas, have failed to find
ways to bring Vermont National Guard troops home from
Iraq,
Whereas this
war will only be brought to an end by the direct actions of working
people,
Therefore,
Let It Be Resolved that the Vermont AFL-CIO continues to stand in firm
opposition to this war, and unequivocally supports the decision of the Longshore
Caucus of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) to shutdown
the west coast ports for a period of 8 hours on May 1st, 2008, as a means of
resistance.
Let It Be
Resolved that the Vermont AFL-CIO stands in full solidarity with the New York
Metro National Association of Letter Carriers who have resolved to conduct two
minute periods of silence on May 1st, 2008, at 1PM, 5PM & 9PM in protest of
the war and in support of the Longshoremen.
Let It Be
Resolved that the Vermont AFL-CIO encourages all Vermont workers to stand in
solidarity with the historic actions being taken by the Longshoremen & other
labor unions to end this war.
Let It Be
Further Resolved that the Vermont AFL-CIO calls for all Vermont workers to
discuss the actions of the Longshoremen, to wear anti-war buttons, and to take
various actions of their own design and choosing in their workplace on May 1st,
2008 as a means of resistance against this unjust war.
South Carolina AFL-CIO Resolution
In Solidarity With
Longshoremen’s West Coast Strike Against War
April, 2008
Whereas the war in Iraq is
immoral, unwanted, and unnecessary,
Whereas this unjust war is opposed by the great majority of Americans
& South Carolinians, the bulk of organized labor, and by thousands of
enlisted military personal,
Whereas this unjust war has already resulted in over 4000 American dead
(including a disproportionate number of brave South
Carolinians), and tens of thousands of service men & woman
being wounded,
Whereas this unjust war has further resulted in untold number of Iraqi
deaths,
Whereas the Federal Government has not made any constructive moves
towards the ending of this war and the full removal of US troops, and instead
has taken the course of escalation and indefinite occupation,
Whereas the government of South Carolina, and especially Governor Mark
Sanford, have failed to find ways to bring South Carolina National Guard troops
home from Iraq,
Whereas this war will only be brought to an end by the direct actions of
working people,
Therefore, Let It Be Resolved that the South Carolina AFL-CIO continues
to stand in firm opposition to this war, and unequivocally supports the
decision of the Longshore Caucus of the International Longshore & Warehouse
Union (ILWU) to stop work in all West Coast ports for a period of 8 hours,
beginning on May 1st, 2008, as a means of resistance.
Let It Be Resolved that
the South Carolina AFL-CIO stands in full solidarity with the New York Metro
National Association of Letter Carriers who have resolved to conduct two minute
periods of silence on May 1st, 2008, at 1PM, 5PM & 9PM in protest of the
war and in support of the Longshoremen.
Let It Be Resolved that the South Carolina AFL-CIO encourages all
South Carolina workers to stand in solidarity with the historic actions being
taken by the Longshoremen & other labor unions to end this war.
Let It Be Further Resolved that the South Carolina AFL-CIO calls for
all South Carolina workers to discuss the actions of the Longshoremen, to
wear anti-war buttons, and to take various actions of their own design and
choosing in their workplace on May 1st, 2008 as a means of resistance against
this unjust war.
South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council backs
ILWU May Day action in West
Coast ports
Whereas, the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council has a
longstanding position calling for an immediate end to the US war and
occupation in Iraq; therefore be it
Resolved, that the South Bay
AFL-CIO Labor Council supports the decision of the Longshore Caucus of the
International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) to stop work for 8 hours
on Thursday, May 1, 2008 -- International Workers Day -- at all West Coast
ports, to demand "an immediate end to the war and occupation in Iraq and
Afghanistan and the withdrawal of US troops from the Middle East." The
Council supports the decision of Branch 214 of the National Association of
Letter Carriers to observe 2 minutes of silence in all carrier stations at
8:15 a.m. on May 1st, in solidarity with the ILWU action and to express their
opposition to the war in Iraq; and be it further
Resolved, that the South
Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council encourages other unions
to follow ILWU's call for a
'No Peace-No Work Holiday' or other labor actions on May Day, to express
their opposition to the US wars and occupations in the Middle East; and be it
finally
Resolved, that the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council send a letter
of congratulations to ILWU President Bob McEllrath for his union's
bold initiative to use the occasion of International Workers Day to stop work
to stop the war.
-- Resolution adopted by the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor
Council, April 21,
2008, by unanimous vote.
Roberth
McEllrath25
April 2008
International
President
International
Longshore & Warehouse Union
1188 Franklin St
San Francisco
California
94 109
Dear Robert,
I write you in solidarity with the anti war movement in the USA and the close down of all
ports on the US West Coast on the MayDay in protest of the war in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
The12:th
National General Assembly of the Swedish Dockworkers Union on the 24 – 26 April
2008 took a unanimous decision in support of the ILWU action on MayDay and the
demand to stop the war in Iraq and Afganistan. The decision also included
efforts to make this protest wellknown during the celebrations of MayDay, which
is a public holiday here in Sweden.
We fully support
your action and your demands to end the war in Iraq and Afganistan and we wish
you all success.
In solidarity
SWEDISH
DOCKWORKERS UNION
Björn A.Borg
President
