Texas Labor Against the War

Austin, October 5, 2008. The biennial statewide general assembly of the 12,000 member Texas State Employees Union (CWA Local 6186) passed an antiwar resolution Sunday morning, Oct. 5. TxLAW members and other TSEU activists promoted the resolution, which passed by a voice vote, though not without considerable opposition. We publicized the resolution prior to the Assembly and got a number of folks to enthusiastically sign on. More signed on when they arrived at the Assembly and learned about the resolution. We tried to talk to a lot of delegates during the weekend and we passed out numerous copies of the resolution. Our union has a large and diverse membership, so opposition was to be expected. It was mostly along three lines: people who argued the resolution was unnecessary and divisive; veterans (especially those who have served in Iraq) and family of deployed military members, who believe in the wars; people who oppose the war in Iraq but believe the Afghanistan war needs to be fought. Of course, many veterans supported the resolution.  We believed it was appropriate for our union to consider an antiwar resolution at this time.  The human and financial toll of these wars has a direct effect on members of our union and on the people we serve.

Below is the text of our resolution. You can read the national resolution on a previous news post on this website. Our resolution has been posted on the national US Labor Against the War website. We appreciate the attention! See it at http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/article.php?list=type&type=52

Resolution adopted by Texas State Employees Union 2008 General Assembly, October 5, 2008

Working for Peace and Labor Rights in Iraq and Afghanistan: In support of resolution passed at 2008 CWA national convention

Whereas: Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been a disaster for the U.S. people, U.S. military members, and the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Whereas: TSEU members, family, and friends are among those who’ve been killed and wounded, who are veterans, or who are now in harm’s way.

Whereas: The U.S. continues to spend billions of dollars on these wars that we need at home for public services, veterans services, infrastructure rebuilding, and public worker pay and benefits.

Whereas: U.S. and Iraqi government attacks on the Iraqi labor movement are an affront to labor unions everywhere.

Whereas: The national convention of our parent union, the Communications Workers of America, adopted a strong resolution opposing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, supporting our troops and veterans, and supporting our union brothers and sisters in Iraq.

RESOLVED: TSEU/CWA Local 6186 adopts the national CWA resolution.

RESOLVED: TSEU/CWA Local 6186 will actively work to implement this resolution by adding our voice to those demanding that resources spent on these wars be redirected to our needs at home; by demanding of our government that our troops, veterans, and their families get the medical care and benefits they deserve; and by exploring affiliation with U.S. Labor Against the War and other groups which support international labor standards.

Activists will present a resolution opposing the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at the general assembly of the Texas State Employees Union/CWA Local 6186, to be held Oct. 3 - 5 in Austin. The resolution will be an endorsement of the antiwar resolution passed in June at the national convention of the Communication Workers of America, TSEU’s parent union.

Here’s the CWA resolution. We will publish the proposed TSEU resolution when its wording is finalized.

2008 CWA Convention Resolution: Working for Peace and Labor Rights in Iraq
Communications Workers of America
June 28th, 2008
Resolution 70A-08-9

The military actions of the Bush administration in the Middle East have reached a critical point, one which may commit future administrations to an expanded war. The costs of that war are now running over $341 million per day and total more than $531 billion to date. These costs will be borne by generations to come.

The money spent on this war could be spent to repair our nation’s infrastructure and restore social programs that have been devastated by years of Republican neglect. But the cost in human Iives is even more important, with 4,104 of our young men and women killed to date, over 30,000 wounded, and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi men, women and children killed.

The Iraqi labor movement also has been devastated. It is increasingly dangerous to be a union leader in Iraq. The Iraqi labor movement reports that union property has been seized and destroyed, bank accounts have been frozen, and leaders have been abducted, arrested and assassinated. With their lives in danger, many labor leaders have been forced to leave the country.

Following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Coalition Provisional Authority kept intact a 1987 decree by Saddam Hussein outlawing unions in the public sector and in public enterprises. This ban has been continued by the current government of Nouri Al-Maliki. In place of free union elections, the government is imposing an elections process. This is an affront to the principles of free trade unionism and counter to the Iraqi government’s 2004 pledge to create a law that would comply with International Labor Organization (ILO) standards and guarantee workers the right to form their own trade unions.

A coalition of international labor rights organizations, including the AFL-CIO, is calling for the lraqi government to cease its interference with lraqi unions and to respect workers’ rights to form unions. In the United States, local unions, state and regional labor organizations and others have built a solidarity network - U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW). USLAW has sponsored two visits by lraqi trade unionists to the United States and continues to provide a key link between U.S. workers and our brothers and sisters in the Iraqi labor movement.

RESOLVED: CWA continues to support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and believes that the best support is to bring them home and give them all medical treatment, care and benefits they need and deserve.

RESOLVED: CWA encourages all Locals to unite with labor unions here and internationally in the growing movement against the war and to deepen their active solidarity with the Iraqi trade unionists.

RESOLVED: CWA Joins with the AFL-CIO and other labor organizations to call on the lraqi government to take immediate steps to bring Iraq into compliance with International Labor Organization core labor standards.

Following days of demonstrations and strikes by thousands of workers, the Iraqi government reversed its order to cut wages by up to 30% and eliminate many industrial labor benefits.  The authorities agreed to direct negotiations with the representatives of the workers.

Workers were able to achieve a number of major demands, such as stopping pay and benefit cuts, and above all advancing the demand for freedom of association and other labor rights that have been denied to Iraqi workers both under the dictatorship and by the U.S./British occupation.  The government agreed to retroactive payment of the wage cuts put into effect and to  meet with worker representatives over other issues, such as workplace hazards.  The Parliament must now consider a labor rights law that recognizes, respects and protects labor rights in conformity with International Labor Organization standards.

More than 275 people responded within 48 hours to the urgent appeal USLAW sent to its supporters asking them to sign electronic letters to the Iraqi Ambassador in Washington DC and the Iraq representative to the UN in New York.  Similar efforts were mounted in other countries around the world.  The combination of determined courageous worker protests in the face of threats and violence and international solidarity turned an attack on the living standards of workers into a victory.  However, promises are not the same as performance.  We must be ready to act again if the Iraqi government and parliament fail to follow through.

Thanks to all those who responded by sending protest messages to the Iraqi government.

Join CodePink and other Austin groups Friday for this month’s Iraq Moratorium event:  In front of the Capitol, on 11th Street at Congress Avenue, 5 - 6 pm.   CodePink will have a theme of “No More Funding,” and Cost of War–$3 trillion.

The Iraq Moratorium–every third Friday until the war ends.