The open letter (see below) to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is an appeal to the national leadership of the AFL-CIO to stop threatening the Vermont AFL-CIO Council's recent actions and calls for a radical labor movement that works with progressive social movements and electoral candidates towards economic and social justice. The majority of the signers are veterans of the anti-racist and antiwar movements of the 1960s and 1970s. If you want more information regarding the current situation with Vermont AFL-CIO and the AFL-CIO national leadership, I encourage you to read labor writer and organizer Steve Early's recent article linked to here: https://beyondchron.org/why-is-afl-cio-so-worried-about-its-vermont-affiliate/
Here is a link to the Ten point program of the Vermont AFL-CIO Labor Council. https://vt.aflcio.org/news/vermont-afl-cio-ten-point-programs <https://vt.aflcio.org/news/vermont-afl-cio-ten-point-program> Thanks for your time,, Ron Jacobs President AFSCME Local 1343, Vermont Mr. Richard Trumka, President AFL-CIO, We, as organizers and members of various movements and organizations in the New Left of the 1960s and 1970s (and their allies)—who organized for economic and social justice and against racism and war— wholly support the direction the AFL-CIO Vermont Leadership Council and other progressive unions are taking in support of those same goals in 2021. We call on the AFL-CIO national leadership to back off from its threats and intimidation of these labor organizers and join in developing a national movement for economic and social justice now. 2021 is a year of change, potentially great change. It is also a year of continuing crisis. The COVID 19 virus shut down much of the world beginning in march 2020. The economy dove, leaving millions of workers without work for months. In spite of a slight recovery, millions remain unemployed with increasing debt. Despite some efforts to minimize the economic pain from Washington, the future remains uncertain. Meanwhile, the world's wealthiest people have seen their wealth magnify exponentially. Besides the economic situation, the onslaught against Black Americans by police forces around the United States continues unabated. In one of the most brazen murders by police, George Floyd was asphyxiated by Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin. After months of popular and militant protests by US residents of all ages and skin tones, Chauvin was tried and convicted of all charges. Immigrants continue to be treated poorly at the southern border--the change in national leadership seems to make little difference. Although Donald Trump lost the presidential election in November 2020, he and his followers did not go quietly. Indeed, the fear that Trump and his clique would refuse to leave the White House on inauguration day 2021 was a very real fear. This fear was enhanced when thousands of his followers took over the US Capitol building on January 6th, resulting in the deaths of at least six people. The far right and white supremacists supporting Trump continue their efforts to destroy remaining democracy in the United States. The nature of this situation cries out for a movement dedicated to economic and social justice. That movement requires the support of mobilized labor, social movements and individuals from throughout US society. The Vermont union movement supports the leadership of the Vermont AFL-CIO Leadership Council in its attempts to provide an approach for labor unions to be part of this movement; to be in the leadership of such a movement. To this end, they have stepped up organizing unrepresented workers, opened up their meetings to all members, support the demands of Black Lives Matter and those working for immigrant rights. Furthermore, after an overwhelming convention vote, the Council called on workers around Vermont to walk out if Trump refused to leave the White House. This is what organized labor should be doing during times like this. Richard Trumka and the AFL-CIO national leadership need to get on board. (organizations for identification purposes only) Paul Atwood, Retired faculty University of Massachusetts Boston, Veterans for Peace Sharon Black, Peoples Power Assembly, former UFCW Local 27 & Meatcutter shop steward Peter Bohmer, Economics for Everyone, faculty emeritus, The Evergreen State College Keith Brooks, UFT, National Writers Union, Director New York Unemployed Committee (1990-'96) Paul Buhle, historian of the Left and US labor movement Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiiz, professor emeritus, California State University.(AFT) Max Elbaum, activist and author Robert Ferraro - Univ. of MD SDS, retired shop steward, UFCW Local 400 Jon Flanders Past President, IAM 1145 retired Henry Harris, Center for Grassroots Organizing, Marshfield VT Jeff Jones, Former Director of the New York State Apollo Alliance, climate and environmental justice activist George Katsiaficas, Author and president, Eros Effect Foundation Kira Kelly, National Lawyers Guild Fred Klonsky Local President IEA/NEA retired Nancy Kurshan, LCSW, Chicago School Social Worker & member of Chicago Teachers Union (retired) Fred Magdoff, Emeritus Professor and former member of the faculty union at UVM Claude Marks, Co-Director Freedom Archives Patrick McCann, lifetime NEA/AFT member, former IAM(AW) member, national president of Veterans For Peace Joseph Moore, former UAW member and UVM United Academics organizer Richard Ochs, U.of Md. SDS, retired Shop Steward, IUMSWA, Local 24, pensioned GCIU Jonah Raskin, professor emeritus Sonoma State University Russell Shoatz III, Ankh Restorative Justice/Diversity Content Creator Craig Simpson, former Executive Director Washington Metropolitan Council AFL-CIO, retired member Almagated Transit Union 689, UFCW 400 retired Tom O. Smith, Shop Steward UE-Local 120; Building Rep., AFT-Baltimore; VT State Rep, General Assembly (2 terms) Netdahe Stoddard, co-director of Building Fearless Futures Cabot, VT Bob Tomashevsky, SDS, NYC Taxi Driver's Organizing Committee, Local 100 TWU. Ron Jacobs, President AFSCME Local 1343 -- * <https://bookshop.org/lists/ron-jacobs-books/>* -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#8638): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/8638 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/82935261/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
