Dieser Internet-Auftritt kann nach dem Tod des Webmasters, Peter Strutynski, bis auf Weiteres nicht aktualisiert werden. Er steht jedoch weiterhin als Archiv mit Beiträgen aus den Jahren 1996 – 2015 zur Verfügung.

Für "sofortige Beendigung der US-Besatzung in Irak"
Largest State Federation of Labor in U.S. Calls for "Immediate" End to U.S. Occupation of Iraq

Gewerkschaftsdachverband AFL-CIO Kalifornien verabschiedet zwei Resolutionen zur Besatzungspolitik
California Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO adopted two resolutions

Der Kalifornische Gewerkschaftsbund AFL-CIO, der rund zwei Millionen Mitglieder repräsentiert, hat auf seinem Kongress am 13./14./15. Juli 2004 mit überwältigender Mehrheit eine Resolution verabschiedet, in der sich die Gewerkschafter für ein "sofortiges Ende der US-Besatzung des Irak" aussprechen. Des weiteren forderten die Delegierten die Aufhebung des "Patriot Act", eines Gesetzes, das im Gefolge des 11. September 2001 erlassen worden war und zum Teil erhebliche Einschränkungen von Freiheitsrechten im Inneren der USA vornahm. Die dritte Forderung der Gewerkschafter lautet: Die Lebensinteressen der Menschen müssen wieder zur nationalen Priorität erhoben werden. Wörtlich: "Wir brauchen Arbeit und wirkliche Sicherheit, nicht Militarismus und Weltherrschaft."

In einer zweiten Resolution wird der nationale Gewerkschaftsdachverband AFL-CIO kritisiert, weil er sich an einem Programm der US-Regierung zur "Demokratisierung" des Irak beteiligt. Das Programm wird vom "National Endowment for Democracy (NED)" (Nationale Stiftung für Demokratie") gefördert und versucht in verschiedenen Ländern Strukturen aufzubauen und Regime bzw. Oppositionskräfte zu unterstützen, die für eine amerikafreundliche Politik stehen. Der AFL-CIO würde seinen guten Ruf aufs Spiel setzen, wenn er sich dadurch zum Handlanger der US-Regierung machen würde. Der Aufbau der irakischen Gewerkschaften sei eine Angelegenheit, die von den irakischen Lohnabhängigen selbst in die Hand genommen werden müsse.

Beide Resolutionen waren ursprünglich von der Gewerkschaftsorganisation San Francisco beantragt worden. Sie sollen nun als Anträge beim nächsten Nationalen Kongress des AFL-CIO eingebracht werden.

Im Folgenden dokumentieren wir (englisch):

1. einen Bericht über den Gewerkschaftskongress / report on the AFL-Cio Congress und die beiden Resolutionen (den Bericht haben wir per e-mail aus San Diego erhalten),
2. die erste Resolution /the first resolution (verbatim) im Wortlaut und
3. die zweite Resolution / the secon resolution (verbatim) im Wortlaut.

Largest State Federation of Labor in U.S. Calls for "Immediate" End to U.S. Occupation of Iraq

San Diego, CA: On Tuesday, July 13th at its 25th biennial convention, the California Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, representing more than two million members, voted overwhelmingly to call upon the AFL-CIO to "demand an immediate end to the US occupation of Iraq, and to support the repeal of the Patriot Act and the reordering of national priorities toward the human needs of our people." The California federation is the largest in the AFL-CIO, with more than one-sixth of its members.

The action was inspired by a strong antiwar resolution submitted by the San Francisco Labor Council, but as reported by the resolutions committee to the convention, it called only for an "expedient" end to the occupation. When debate opened, State Labor Federation Vice President Nancy Wohlforth (who is also national Secretary-Treasurer of the Office & Professional Employees International Union and national leader of Pride at Work), proposed to restore the original demand for "immediate" end to the occupation. Her motion was seconded by Walter Johnson, Secretary- Treasurer of the San Francisco Labor Council. On a voice vote by the more than 400 delegates, an overwhelming majority voted in favor of the stronger demand. The strength of that vote appears to reflect the depth of anger which union members have toward the Bush administration's "pre-emptive" war and occupation in Iraq where more than 850 U.S. troops have been killed and more than 5000 have been wounded since the invasion last year.

A second amendment was then introduced by John Dalrymple, Executive Director of the Contra Costa County Central Labor Council, and Alan Benjamin, Executive Board member of OPEIU Local 3 in San Francisco, to affirm the California Labor Federation's intent to "explore affiliation with and help actively support and promote U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW)...." USLAW is a national network of labor organizations opposed to U.S. policy in Iraq that has more than 80 affiliated national and local unions, regional labor bodies, labor antiwar committees, and allied labor organizations. This amendment was also adopted by an overwhelming majority, and was followed by an even larger majority vote for adoption of the resolution as amended.

The California federation also adopted without modification a resolution demanding transparency and accountability by the AFL-CIO in its international programs. It urged the AFL-CIO and its Solidarity Center to "exercise extreme caution in seeking or accepting funding from the U.S. government, its agencies and any other institutions which it funds," such as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), for its work in Iraq or elsewhere. It warned that doing so could "give the appearance, if not the effect, of making the AFL-CIO appear to be an agent of the U.S. government and its foreign policies," which, it warned, "may taint the good reputation of the Federation in the eyes of the labor movements in other countries and draw into question the motivation and true independence of the Federation in its international affairs."

The convention called upon the AFL-CIO "to fully account for what was done" in Chile, Venezuela and other countries where the AFL-CIO funneled NED funds to opponents of the elected government. In the case of Chile, that led to the military coup and overthrow of the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende in the 1973, which brought to power the Pinochet dictatorship, and in the case of Venezuela, to the attempted but unsuccessful overthrow of the government of Hugo Chavez in 2003. It called upon the federation to give a country by country accounting of its activities and to "renounce any ... tie that could compromise our authentic credibility and the trust of workers here and abroad that would make us paid agents of government or of the forces of corporate economic globalization."

The convention called upon the AFL-CIO to fund its international programs and activities, whenever possible, with funds generated directly from its affiliates and their members.

Bring the troops home now & end the occupation of Iraq …
Money for human needs, not war…
Repeal the Patriot Act

Whereas, the people in Iraq want the US occupation to end, and the US soldiers in Iraq want to come home. We ask: who is benefiting from this war, and who is paying the price; and

Whereas, every day, people are dying as a consequence of this illegal occupation… Every day human misery expands in the drive for world Empire and corporate globalization… Every day, jobs are lost and vital social programs that serve and protect working people are being looted and destroyed, as the Bush administration cynically manipulates the so-called "war on terrorism" to carry out the social transfer of wealth from the bottom to the top; and

Whereas, the Bush administration lied to the people, to the Congress, and to the United Nations as it raced to wage war against Iraq. Now tens of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of GIs have been killed or maimed. As the anger of the Iraqi people has inevitably grown, the body count on both sides has sharply increased; and

Whereas, as the anti-war movement predicted, the Iraqi people view US forces as colonial occupiers, not liberators. American soldiers are killing and being killed in a war that serves only the interests of U.S. oil monopolies and corporate elites - George W. Bush's real constituents; and

Whereas, the Pentagon admits they will have about 150,000 troops in Iraq for the "foreseeable future," at a cost of Billions of dollars every month -- on top of the cost of maintaining US troops and bases in 130 other countries - and this rapid rise in the power and reach of the military is closely linked to the unprecedented assault on the civil rights, union rights, benefits (including veterans' benefits), and living standards of working people going on right now in the United States; and

Whereas, the Bush administration - which only came to power due to racist disenfranchisement and voting fraud -- has used the excuse of their "endless war" to sponsor a wholesale assault on the Bill of Rights, institutionalize racial profiling, assume extraordinary powers for the Executive branch, and adopt new repressive laws like the Patriot Act; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO, raise these demands:

1. an immediate end to the US/British war and occupation in Iraq - Bring the Troops Home Now;
2. repeal of the Patriot Act and other repressive laws;
3. reordering of national priorities toward the human needs of our people. We need jobs and real security, not militarism and empire-building.

Adopted by the 2004 Convention of the California Labor Federation.

Oppose AFL-CIO Acceptance of National Endowment for Democracy Funds

Whereas the AFL-CIO and unions generally in the U.S. are deeply committed to the concept of solidarity with labor movements in other countries, and Whereas the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has served as a front for U.S. government foreign policy objectives, including acting in the past as a front for U.S. government intelligence operations and subversive interference in the internal affairs of the labor movements of other countries, and

Whereas the AFL-CIO leadership, through the Federation's Solidarity Center, has announced its intentions to apply for $3 to 5 millions in funding from the NED for its operations in Iraq, and

Whereas the conventions of the International Labor Organization guarantee workers of every country the right to choose to be represented by the labor organization or union of their own choosing, free from government, corporate or foreign interference or constraints, and

Whereas AFL-CIO acceptance of NED funding for its solidarity work in Iraq would have the appearance, if not the effect, of interfering in the internal affairs of the Iraqi labor movement in furtherance of U.S. government foreign policy objectives,

Therefore be it resolved that the San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO, affirm its support for the principles of autonomy, independence and self-determination embodied in the International Conventions of the International Labor Organization, and

Be it further resolved that the San Francisco Labor Council oppose the AFL-CIO and its Solidarity Center seeking or accepting funding from the U.S. government, its agencies and any other institutions which it funds such as the NED for its work in Iraq or elsewhere, and

Be it further resolved, that the San Francisco Labor Council urge the AFL-CIO to fund its international programs and activities from funds generated directly by its affiliates and their members.

Adopted by the 2004 Convention of the California Labor Federation.


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