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Rev.
Jesse Jackson and Los Angeles leaders blast Bush in unity with the ILWU
By Evelina Alarcon
The
Reverend Jesse Jackson joined elected officials, labor leaders and more
than 300 unionists Sept. 5 at a press conference at the Los Angeles
County Federation of Labor headquarters, to send a powerful message to
the Bush Administration in solidarity with the ILWU.
“Bush, stay off the docks!” roared Rev. Jackson with ILWU longshore
Local 13 President Ramon Ponce De Leon and a stage full of prominent
leaders by his side.
“Bush
is mobilizing for union busting like Reagan did with PATCO. But Bush
would not intervene to save workers from Enron, Global Crossing,
WorldCom or Arthur Anderson,” Jackson said.
“Bush has a one string guitar—terror. The economy, education,
workers rights, equality are not on that guitar,” said Jackson, who
chastised Bush for leading by fear not hope.
Promising that Bush backing of the Pacific Maritime Association cannot
be separated from the November elections, Jackson, who is leading a
March in Washington D.C. Sept. 13, warned that “Bush should not
underestimate our resolve. When we fight together, we win! That dock is
your dock, workers have to fight.”
“The ILWU is not alone. Labor in Los Angeles is with you and we have a
lot of friends in the City Council, state legislature and Congress,”
said Miguel Contreras, Executive Secretary Treasurer of the Los Angeles
County Federation of Labor, who chaired the press conference. “If we
need to be down on the docks, we will be there with you!”
Proving Contreras right, labor leader after leader, representing tens of
thousands of union members, stood up one by one and pledged to do
“whatever it takes” to support the ILWU.
Los Angeles City Council member Janice Hahn (San Pedro) rocked the press
conference when she shouted, “If the federal government insists on
waging war, then the brothers and sisters of labor and the city of Los
Angeles will stand behind the ILWU.”
“Harry Bridges fought for the right to strike and no one can take that
away, and we have 3.8 million residents behind us,” chimed in Los
Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti (Echo Park), a co-initiator with
Hahn of a resolution unanimously passed by the City Council. Los Angeles
Mayor James Hahn has also sent a letter to Bush calling on him not to
intervene.
Assembly member Alan Lowenthal (D-San Pedro), joined on stage by many
legislators, upped that ante, announcing that the state legislature also
just passed a resolution calling on Bush to butt out. “We represent 34
million people and this is our line to Bush—stay out of California!”
Lowenthal demanded.
“Pressure is working because the PMA called the ILWU and said let’s
negotiate,” said Ponce de Leon to loud cheers. “Last night at 8:00
p.m. a tentative agreement was signed for a welfare package on MOB. We
still have to put pressure on, but telling government to step back is
helping to turn the tide.”
“The ILWU owes a deep debt of gratitude to the rest of the labor
movement and every legislator and elected official who have stood by
us,” Ponce De Leon added.
Miguel Contreras is keeping that pressure on by announcing a rally Sept.
19 in Los Angeles when Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, Elaine
Chao, is scheduled to speak. “If this is not settled by then, we will
be in front of the Biltmore Hotel with a message that Elaine Chao can
take direct to Bush from us!” Contreras said.
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