Wisconsin Stands Tall At National Convention

The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO sent well over a dozen delegates to the 2009 AFL-CIO Convention in September.  The delegation had a real voice in setting the agenda for the national labor movement.  The best way to understand this is to look at the three resolutions submitted from Wisconsin which were passed on the convention floor.

Resolution 15: The American Labor Studies Center

The rich history of the labor movement belongs to all of us and can be useful as a catalyst for future growth.  And yet few of us, even activists in our own unions, have a deep enough understanding of that history to be empowered by its details.

The American Labor Studies Center has developed a wealth of materials for teachers to bring that history to life in our schools, including lessons in Wisconsin labor history: www.labor-studies.org 

And now, thanks to a resolution submitted by the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, the National AFL-CIO urges:

state federations, area labor federations, central labor councils, international unions, local unions, foundations and other friends of the labor movement to support the American Labor Studies Center and the Kate Mullany National Historic Site.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the story, Kate Mullany was an Irish immigrant and founding organizer of the Collar Laundry Union:

http://www.katemullanynhs.org/

Resolution 15 is available in its entirety online:

http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/thisistheaflcio/convention/2009/upload/res_15.pdf

Resolution 16: End the Silence on Labor Rights in Iraq

One of the fundamental building blocks of a democratic society is the right of workers to join unions of their choice free of government interference, domination, harassment or repression.  Yet after more than six years of U.S. occupation, workers in Iraq still live under the repressive laws of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship, which prohibit both public and private sector workers from forming unions.

Resolution 16 makes it clear that such repression is unacceptable:

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the AFL-CIO shall participate in the campaign for labor rights in Iraq by circulating the petition in support of those rights initiated by U.S. Labor Against the War.

The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO is a member of U.S. Labor Against the War; to join, go to their website at www.laboragainstwar.org.

To learn more, read the entire text of Resolution 16:

http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/thisistheaflcio/convention/2009/upload/res_16.pdf

Resolution 34: The Social Insurance Model for Health Care Reform

The Social Insurance Model for Health Care Reform, more commonly called single-payer or Medicare for All, asserts that universal health care is a basic human right and moral imperative for our nation that must be funded through progressive financing.

Although many following the current health care debate believe that single-payer is off the table, AFL-CIO Resolution 34 reaffirms the commitment of the labor movement to this ideal:

Whatever the outcome of the current debate over health care reform in the 111th Congress, the task of establishing health care as a human right, not a privilege, will still lay before us. We continue to believe the social insurance model should be our goal, and we will continue to fight for reforms that take us in that direction.

Twelve delegates spoke in favor of the resolution, including Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President David Newby.    Other supporters who had a chance to address the gathering included three members of the AFL-CIO Executive Council, several Presidents or high ranking officials from other State Federations and Central Labor Councils, as well as representatives from AFSCME, AFT and ILWU.  No one spoke against it.

Please take a moment to read the full text of Resolution 34, which passed unanimously:

http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/thisistheaflcio/convention/2009/upload/res_34amend.pdf

It is also worth noting that HR 676, a single-payer solution proposed by Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, is still very much a part of the current health care discussion:

http://conyers.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Issues.Home&Issue_id=063b74a4-19b9-b4b1-126b-f67f60e05f8c

Further information about single-payer health care can be found at:

http://www.laborforsinglepayer.org/

All of the Resolutions passed by the 2009 National AFL-CIO convention are available for review online: http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/thisistheaflcio/convention/2009/resolutions.cfm

You can also check out video clips, photos and highlights from the convention: http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/thisistheaflcio/convention/2009/index.cfm

Top Photo: WFNHP-AFT President Candice Owley, speaking at the National AFL-CIO Convention in support of union involvement in global issues, both for human rights and labor rights reasons.  Photo Credit: Bill Burke/Page One. 

“We in the US are thankful for international solidarity for our labor rights,” says Owley.  “We oppose trade agreements that don't include human and labor rights, and we must speak out when workers are harassed and even killed in places such as Columbia.”

Bottom Photo:  Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President David Newby speaking in favor of single-payer during the discussion of Resolution 34.  Photo Credit: Labor Campaign for Single-Payer.