More than 40 members of UE were on hand to make history in Atlanta at the end of June, as over 10,000 people gathered for five days in the biggest social justice event in our country in recent memory, the U.S. Social Forum (USSF.)
It kicked off with a gigantic march through the streets of Atlanta on Wednesday, June 27. It continued through Sunday with plenary sessions on topics like Native Americans fighting to preserve the environment; post-Katrina reconstruction; workers´ rights in the global economy; war and imperialism; and immigrant workers. But the real work and deep discussions took place in workshops – some 900 of them! – where activists shared stories, made connections, and learned from each other.
The participants were diverse, but overwhelmingly working class, a majority people of color, and more than half women. The number of young people was huge – something many of UE’s participants commented on, and a good omen for change in America.
Canadian activist and writer Judy Rebick, in a web-published report a week after the USSF, noted that "big names" of progressive politics did not get starring roles in Atlanta. "In a culture obsessed with celebrity, the organizing committee decided they didn’t need any."
GRASSROOTS GLOBAL JUSTICE
USSF is an outgrowth of the World Social Forum (WSF), which began in 2001 as an opposition to the World Economic Forum, an annual gathering where the world´s economic and political elites discuss how to run things to benefit the wealthy and corporations. Since 2002 UE has sent representatives every year to the WSF, huge convergences of organizations of the working class, poor people, and others working for social justice, meeting in places such as Porto Alegre, Brazil; Mumbai, India; and Nairobi, Kenya.
UE was a founding organization five years ago of a coalition called Grassroots Global Justice (GGJ), composed of U.S. organizations participating in the WSF and working to build a progressive movement in the U.S. Jonathan Kissam of Local 221 cuurently represents UE on GGJ’s coordinating committee. GGJ was central to organizing the USSF, and they took their time because they wanted to be sure they did it right. "Four years ago the discussion started about trying to pull this off,’ Jonathan recalls. "People were asking, ’Should we do it? Can we do it? It needs to be really big.’ Well, big it was, and judging from the comments of everyone the UE NEWS spoke to, a great success.
UE WORKSHOPS
UE organized two workshops which were very well attended, and UE members were scheduled speakers in at least six other workshops. One of the UE workshops was "Breaking the Barriers to Unionization in the U.S. and Mexico." Angaza Laughinghouse and Nathanette Mayo of UE 150 and the activist singing group "Fruit of Labor" put people in the right mood by getting everyone to stand and join in song. UE ally Benedicto Martinez of the FAT (Authentic Labor Front) then described the obstacles to building genuine democratic unions in Mexico, where every corrupt and undemocratic government-controlled and company unions. Arturo Silva of the FAT’s public sector federation in the state of Chihuahua, explained his union’s challenges.
UE Dir. of Org. Bob Kingsley described the legal obstacles facing U.S. workers trying to organize, illustrated by a PowerPoint slide show. He then introduced a panel of UE members involved in difficult organizing struggles. Tough organizing drives that ultimately succeeded because of the courage and persistence of UE members were recounted by Crystal Pratt of Local 684, at TEMCO, North East, PA; Ron McCollough, Local 155, Stepan Chemical, Fieldsboro, NJ; and Lauro Bonilla, Local 1103, Milwaukee. Angaza Laughinghouse, a North Carolina state worker, described the continuing obstacles facing Local 150 as it organizes public employees in a state that denies them the right to bargain – and the creative strategies UE pursues to overcome those barriers. Andrew Dinkelaker told of the ongoing struggle for justice by satellite TV installers in Columbus, OH employed by JBM Bluegrass/DirecTech, a DirecTV contractor. International Rep. Deb Gornall presented a case study of a union organizing drive in manufacturing narrowly defeated by dirty company tactics last year at Diamond Innovations, also in Columbus.
A second UE workshop, which more than filled every available seat, focused on public sector workers and international solidarity. UE Secretary-Treasurer Bruce Klipple presented a slide show overview of the problems facing U.S. public employees. FAT leaders Benedicto Martinez and Arturo Silva explained the attacks on Mexican public workers and how the FAT is fighting back. Robin Alexander explained the principle that guided the UE-FAT solidarity work in North Carolina: "International law is not worth the paper it’s written on unless it’s accompanied by a campaign on the ground."
Dennis Orton of the International Workers’ Justice Campaign told how UE in North Carolina organized involvement by international labor rights lawyers, solidarity by worldwide unions, and a filing with the International Labour Organization, a UN agency, resulting in the ILO´s ruling that North Carolina’s ban on public employee bargaining violates international human rights standards. This has created pressure on the state to repeal its oppressive law. Jerry Ledbetter, a Raleigh sanitation worker, explained the conditions that led his co-workers to strike last September 13. Fed up with abuse and lies, "We determined not to move the trucks."
John Perkins from Local 222 and the Stamford, CT DPW said his local sent a delegate to visit FAT public workers in Chihuahua and recently hosted a reciprocal visit by FAT member Daniel Martinez. Our strength, he said, is that, "UE believes in equal rights." Max Davis of Local 150’s Charlotte chapter spoke on his participation in the UE Chihuahua delegation. "It was the trip of a lifetime. Doing international solidarity is not the same as reading about it."
UE was prominent in other workshops. In a panel on minority unions, Dennis Orton talked about the 15-year campaign and successes of UE members at Consolidated Diesel in Whitakers, NC. Angaza Laughinghouse and other UE 150 members were participants in a big, spirited workshop, "South and Southwest," on public employee organizing in right-to-work states. That workshop also included the Southwest Workers Union from Texas and the Mississippi Workers Center.
In a workshop on "Building a People’s Law Movement," Local 150 members James Locklear and Wilford Thomas of the Charlotte Sanitation Dept., Hazel Denning of the North Carolina Mail Center, and Kenneth Myatt of the Dept. of Administration testified about abuses affecting North Carolina public employees and how the ban on bargaining hinders efforts to correct problems.
UE PARTICIPANTS
The UE delegation to the USSF represented all three regions of the union. Local 150 had the biggest delegation, including, from the Department of Health and Human Services: Larsene Taylor (a member of the UE General Executive Board), Annie Dove, and Raymond Sanders; from the Department of Administration: Hazel Denning, Kenny Myatt, Herman Wilkinson, Muallah X and Angaza Laughinghouse. Municipal workers attending included, from Durham, Donald Quick, Max Davis and Nathanette Mayo; from Charlotee, James Locklear, Rayvonne Mottey and Wilford Thomas; and Jerry Ledbetter from Raleigh. UE 150. Local 150 also brought along young people and supporters. UE sent two national officers – Secretary-Treasurer Bruce Klipple and Director of Organization Bob Kingsley – and two regional presidents – Andrew Dinkelaker and Carl Rosen. Other local representatives included: Ron McCullough, Local 155; Jonathan Kissam, Local 221; Jessica Morley, Local 203; John Perkins, Local 222; Lauro Bonilla, Local 1103 (also a GEB member); Ruth Hollabaugh, Local 741 (a GEB member); Jill Schrader and Derk Derck, Local 770; and Crystal Pratt, Local 684. UE staff members who participated were International Reps. Saladin Muhammad, Deb Gornall, Carol Lambiase, and Mark Meinster; International Affairs Dir. Robin Alexander; Political Action Dir. Chris Townsend; UE NEWS Managing Editor Al Hart; Research Dir. Karl Zimmerman; Field Organizers Dante Strobino and Leticia Marquez; and Dennis Orton, organizer for the International Workers Justice Campaign.
For more on the U.S. Social Forum, visit www.ussf2007.org .