Labor antiwar efforts in three cities

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A group began meeting to talk about concerns about the government’s response to the events of Sept. 11. The working group, the Labor Committee for Peace and Justice, is composed of national/international union office staff, union members and local union staff.

Their web site to serve as an information sharing resource can be viewed at http://communities.msn.com/laborpeaceandjustice.

NEW YORK – NYC Labor Against the War has come together over the past month from within a broader antiwar coalition (‘Not in Our Name’) in the shared belief that trade unionists at Ground Zero have a special responsibility to speak out. The committee’s primary focus has been an ongoing antiwar petition which has been signed by 406 entities and/or individual trade unionists: 278 from NYC (including two labor bodies and 12 presidents), and 130 from other cities and countries (including six presidents) – the list of signers grows daily. The committee also sponsored a labor contingent at a large Oct. 7 antiwar rally and is planning labor teach-ins, educational materials and other efforts.

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA – Labor for Peace and Justice was formed on Oct. 7 at a meeting of 68 labor activists, union staff and local union leaders from 35 organizations.

While no formal position was adopted, there was general consensus that the resolution against the war, adopted by the San Francisco Labor Council, provided all the essential points of unity. The group is preparing fact sheets, train-the-trainer materials, and talking points that can be used to prepare union leaders, stewards and staff to engage members in discussion. Efforts will be made to have a resolution introduced at the forthcoming state federation of labor convention in November.

Washington D.C.: Laborpeace@hotmail.com

NYC: letwin@alaa.org

S.F. Bay: getorganized@igc.org