[Seattle-editorial] FEATURE PROPOSAL: Labor passes anti-war resolution

[Susan]

subtitle:  LABOR TAKING A STAND AGAINST BUSH'S WAR ON TERROR
title: Washington State Labor Council Passes First Statewide Anti-War 
Resolution

The anti-war movement gained a significant victory last week when the <a 
href="http://www.seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=17416&group=webcast">first 
statewide labor resolution against the war on terror</a> was overwhelmingly 
passed at the <a href="http://www.wslc.org/">Washington State Labor 
Council</a> convention.

The resolution, titled  <a 
href="http://www.seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=17418&group=webcast">"A 
Resolution Against the War, Attacks on Civil Liberties and Cuts in Public 
Services,"</a> calls for a campaign to repeal the <a 
href="http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance/Terrorism_militias/20011025_hr3162_usa_patriot_bill.html">Patriot 
Act</a>, applied pressure on local and state law enforcement agencies to 
end their cooperation with FBI <a 
href="http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance/Terrorism_militias/">'anti-terrorist' 
surveillance measures</a>, and the immediate release of immigrants who are 
being held in the U.S. without due process and/or legal justification.

The American Federations of State County and Municipal Employees <a 
href="http://home.earthlink.net/~matt304/">(AFSCME) Local 304</a> from 
Seattle introduced the resolution, after being proposed by rank and file 
members active in the <a href="http://www.socialism.com/">Freedom Socialist 
Party</a>. Passage of the resolution is the culmination of work by many, 
including San Francisco's Labor Committee for Peace and Justice, <a 
href="http://www.globalpolicy.org/wtc/analysis/0927nylabor.htm">New York 
City Labor Against the War</a>, and Seattle's Organized Labor Against the 
War. <a href="http://www.coalitionforworldpeace.org/stand.html">A similar 
resolution</a>, co-sponsored by AFSCME Locals 304 and Local 2626 (Los 
Angeles), garnered about 1,000 votes at the national AFSCME convention in 
June, 2002 and saw the creation of AFSCME Workers Against the War.

AFSCME Local 304 President Rodolfo Franco said at the event, "I urge other 
unions and labor councils to pass similar resolutions and send a message to 
President Bush: Stop wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on military 
spending and war, money that is urgently needed to fund decent health care, 
housing, education, job training and social services for millions of 
unemployed and low income workers and the poor in this country and elsewhere."