These planned attacks on longshore workers were discussed in the current issue of the “Dispatcher”, in the “President’s Report”, and “Washington Report”. The right wing and their allies in management appear to be using the current crisis as an excuse to destroy the Bill of Rights of the US constitution, and to seriously cripple the American labor movement.
While International President James Spinosa gave a good report on the proposed so-called “Port Security Act”, I felt he was to pessimistic as to the chances of an effective fightback. Those of you in Longshore Division- this is not your fight alone. In the long term, if you lose, all workers in this country will also suffer defeat. You need to reach out for allies, not only in the other divisions of the ILWU, but throughout the entire labor movement.
Civil and human rights organizations and activists are also potential allies. That is why it is important that you also involve yourself in the defense of others under attack, such as “Women in Black”. It’s no accident that the government is going after other groups before taking on the labor movement. They are going after what they percieve to be the weakest.
Several university administrations are waging an attack against faculty who have spoken out against the current US war drive at City University of New York, University of Texas, Austin, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Univ of Mass. , Amherst, and at other schools.
In Hartford, Conn.,18 anti-war demonstrators, mostly students were arrested for among other charges,“inciting to riot” (just like the Charleston 5), with bail set at from $2,000-$50,000. This is a campaign to divide us and to pick us off one by one.
The time to begin fighting back is not during the next contract negotiations, or after passage of the “Port Security Bill”, but now, otherwise I fear it will be to late. Even those of you who are supportive of the current war need to stand up for the civil liberties of even those you disagree with.
