September 5, 1997

To: Brother John Sansone
Director, U.S. ITF FOC
Campaign Office

Dear Brother Sansone,

Thank you for your comments to my appeal to Brother John Monks, TUC, for immediate debate on all issues relative to the situation of the heroic Liverpool Dockers and their two year old strike against Mersey Docks and Harbour Company. Brother Monks has not yet responded to my letter.

I know that you, more than most others, understand the situation in Liverpool and you know by first hand experience how committed workers around the world are to assisting the Liverpool Dockers in any and every way they can. You were present at the International Longshore and Warehouse Union's International Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii, along with Brother Kees Marges, ITF Dockers Section Secretary, when the ILWU went on record supporting the strikers in Liverpool. We had total support from our union officers and members from Alaska, Canada, the entire West Coast of the United States, and Hawaii. International delegates joined us in our resolve for the Dockers.

There was considerable debate one evening, as you recall, about the lack of support from the TGWU and the position that the ITF was taking because the TGWU did not ask them for intervention. That is when we realized that the strike has been protracted because of the unwillingness of the TGWU to pull out all of the stops and do what was necessary to end the strike. We were confident that if the ITF became active in informing the Dockers and Seafarers of the world what has happened in Liverpool, there would be an outpouring of Union support the world has never seen.

We ask you to put your words of support into deeds. On Monday, September 8, 1997, many countries of the world will engage in a concerted activity for mutual aid and protection. We will refuse to work, in support of the Liverpool Dockers and every other Docker who is facing fascism under the guise of "free trade". We will hold meetings to consider actions in every port on the West Coast of the United States. Our individual Union Locals and each member will respond to the plight of the Liverpool Dockers and their families with or without instructions from our International Union. Our rank and file Union does not need "authority" to act in support of workers of the world. "An Injury To One Is An Injury To All" is all that is required. If the bosses hurt one of us, they hurt all of us!

I appeal to the ITF, to you John directly and to Kees, to pull out all of the stops and alert the individual members of the ITF organizations of the world that there will be worldwide action in support of the Liverpool Dockers on September 8, 1997. I appeal to the TGWU to at least remain neutral in the ITF's all out support for the heroes of Liverpool. If the TGWU can't ask for your intervention and support because of regulations, they should assure you and all of us, that they will remain neutral and let you do your job.

We all count on the ITF. The recent bantering on the Web shows the frustration on the part of those who have strong beliefs in the development of worldwide support in labor issues. The Liverpool situation must be addressed by the ITF. You must find a way. Workers get enough excuses from bosses. We all want to do something. The time is now! Don't you see that if you can't do what is required to ensure a victory for our Brothers and Sisters in Liverpool that we will not have the confidence that the ITF can help others later on. This is a big problem for the ITF and therefore for all of us. We are at a critical time.

I just learned that Dockers in Amsterdam, Holland have been sacked. We will all have that blood on our hands. That is, any of us that knows that we have not done all that we could do to put a stop to the Privatization and Casualization schemes that affect Liverpool and the many countries before them. In many, if not all cases, the governments have acted against the working class.

Again, I appeal to you to get involved and let the workers decide. Please encourage Germany, Belgium, and Holland and every other nation to participate in the worldwide action on September 8, 1997. We will make Mersey Docks and Harbour Company feel the rath of the working class worldwide.

I look forward to see you again, at the Liverpool victory celebration!

In Brotherhood, Solidarity and Victory to the Liverpool Dockers,

I remain, respectfully yours,

Donald R. Holzman
Secretary Treasurer-Business Agent
International Longshore and Warehouse Union
Local 40