2001

WHEREAS in August 2000, the delegate body of the King County Labor Council (KCLC) in Seattle, Washington approved a major revision of the Council’s Constitution and By-Laws by adopting a series of amendments; and

WHEREAS during this process, the delegate body voted to exclude the following language that had been requested for inclusion by the National AFL-CIO: “No individual shall be eligible to serve as an officer, member of the executive board or committee or other governing body of, or any other committee of, or as a delegate from, or as a representative, agent or employee of any state central body who consistently pursues policies and activities directed toward the achievement of the program or purposes of authoritarianism, totalitarianism, terrorism and other forces that suppress individual liberties and freedom of association”; and

WHEREAS during the discussion preceding rejection of the above language by the KCLC delegate body, delegates criticized it for being vague, a relic of the McCarthy era, and for having the potential to be used in a discriminatory manner against delegates or employees of the Council; and

WHEREAS subsequent to the KCLC vote to delete the provision, a similar discussion was held at the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) Convention in August 2000 in Tacoma, Washington. The motion was to delete the requested language. The motion passed unanimously by a vote of over 600 delegates; and

WHEREAS after the KCLC submitted its revised constitution and by-laws to the National AFL-CIO for approval, AFL/CIO President John Sweeney wrote a letter to the Council which stated, in part, that the rejected language was mandatory and that it needed to be inserted into the Council’s constitution “…to bring your constitution into conformity with the provisions of the Rules Governing AFL-CIO Central Labor Councils and the Constitution of the AFL-CIO”;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Executive Board of Pride at Work work within the AFL/CIO to bring about the elimination of the above mentioned language from the AFL-CIO constitution (Article III, Sec. 7; Article V, Sec. 6; and Article X, Sec. 8).

Submitted by Out Front Labor/Pride at Work, Seattle, Washington Chapter
(Voted unanimously June 11, 2001)

WHEREAS the impact of economic globalization on American working families and workers everywhere is causing more job dislocation, impoverishment of working families, division among workers and a huge economic gap between rich and poor in the U.S. and among nations, with power shifting more and more into corporate hands; and

WHEREAS an effective strategy to serve our members’ interests and counter the corporate economic globalization agenda is build solidarity and unity among unions and workers’ organizations worldwide based upon mutual respect and our common needs, with mutually determined labor standards based on social justice and human rights as they are perceived by workers in each nation; and

WHEREAS while we recognize and applaud the many changes in the international policy and practice of the AFL-CIO in recent years and, as we are taking steps to increase credibility among workers and members in the US, we must also overcome fear and suspicion of workers abroad based upon errors and excesses of the Cold War years- so that the AFL-CIO may become a more trusted and vital actor on the stage of working class international affairs; and

WHEREAS recent articles in Labor Studies Journal for Summer 2000 show that the AFL-CIO played a role leading to the bloody Pinochet overthrow of the democratically elected government in Chile, that its work was linked to corporate and CIA intervention ordered by Richard Nixon and led by Henry Kissinger (clearly against the best interests of the labor movement in Latin America and the United States,) that the AFL-CIO engaged in similar activities in many countries on almost every continent and that such activities served corporate interests and were largely funded by the US government; and

WHEREAS the bitter fruit of the experience in Chile and other countries was a strengthened hand for Corporate America, the destruction of militant unions and support of spurious unions, the persecution of working families and the torture, disappearance, and death of many trade union activists and leaders, situations which defy rebuilding trust without taking responsibility for such events where it may be due, and accounting for and renouncing such policies;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that, to advance the progressive new policies of the AFL-CIO in global affairs, we call upon our Federation to fully account for what was done in Chile and other countries where similar roles may have been played in our name, to forever renounce such policies and practices and to openly invite concerned union members and researchers to review and discuss all AFL-CIO archives on international labor affairs;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the AFL-CIO describe, country by country, exactly what activities it may still be engaged in abroad with funds paid by government agencies and renounce any such ties that could compromise our authentic credibility and the trust of workers here and abroad and that would make us paid agents of government or of the forces of corporate economic globalization;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the above actions be taken to clear the air in affirmation of an AFL-CIO policy of genuine global labor solidarity in pursuit of economic and social justice with attention to domestic and international labor standards that include the right to organize and strike, an adequate social safety net, living wages, the right to health care and education, elimination of mandatory overtime, protection of the rights of immigrant workers, prohibitions on strikebreaking and the pursuit of peace among nations and peoples;

AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that we send this resolution to the AFL-CIO and circulate it to Labor Councils, constituency groups, and local unions in our area and elsewhere asking them to take similar action.

Submitted by Out Front Labor/Pride at Work, Seattle, Washington Chapter

WHEREAS for decades, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has provided a positive experience for thousands of boys, helping them acquire important skills and maturity; and

WHEREAS many Pride At Work members have benefited from their own scouting experiences over the years both as youth and later as adult volunteers; and

WHEREAS the BSA has a clearly stated policy, upheld by a right-wing Supreme Court, that bans gay men, atheists and agnostics from their ranks and has gone so far as to exclude and/or fire from their ranks not only those who identify themselves as gay, atheist or agnostic, but also those who simply oppose their hateful policy; and

WHEREAS PAW recognizes that many union members and their children are deeply involved with local scouting organizations, which are not permitted to independently reject the BSA policy; and

WHEREAS we recognize and celebrate the work already done by the AFL-CIO, its officers and affiliate unions to adopt resolutions and statements towards ending discrimination of all kinds;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this 4th Biennial Convention of Pride At Work call upon the AFL-CIO Executive Council to respond to PAWs request and state their opposition to the BSA policy;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that PAW call on all international unions, and central and state labor councils to condemn the Boy Scouts of America’s discriminatory policy and sever official ties with them until such time that they repeal the policy;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that PAW encourage those union members and their children who are Boy Scout members to work from within to change the national policy.

Submitted by: PAW Executive Committee

WHEREAS a significant part of Pride At Work’s mission is to educate union leaders about the needs of LGBT members and potential members, and to educate LGBT leaders about the advantages of a strong labor movement; and

WHEREAS the Equality Zone Project, launched by PAW in 1999, is envisioned as a vehicle for Pride At Work activists to approach local union and other organizational leaders to begin a dialogue about the needs of LGBT workers and the advantages of welcoming these workers as members, leaders, customers, or employees into their organizations; and

WHEREAS the primary tools of the project are the Equality Zone placard– incorporating traditional symbols of the inverted pink triangle representing the LGBT community, clasped hands representing worker solidarity, and the circle indicating a safe and inclusive space, and the Pride At Work membership application which together send an internationally recognizable message of understanding and welcome for LGBT workers.

WHEREAS organizations are encouraged to 1) support Pride At Work by joining as an Organizational Member and 2) displaying the Equality Zone placard in a prominent place in their facility or office, generating financial support critically needed to support the programs of Pride At Work and conveying to those entering these establishments that “This is a place where human rights are respected and where lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are welcome and supported.”

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Pride At Work calls upon its chapters and activists to promote the Equality Zone Project in their communities, with their unions, and among their coalition partners.

Submitted by:
PAW Executive Committee

WHEREAS Pride At Work has endeavored to establish itself as the preeminent workplace rights advocacy group for all LGBT workers; and

WHEREAS PAW believes that the right of workers to join and/or form unions is a fundamental civil right that needs to be strengthened through legislative, educational, and direct action programs; and

WHEREAS Pride At Work will continue to encourage the organizing efforts of all workers, to assist and support union negotiators to achieve compensation and benefit equity on behalf of LGBT workers, and to promote laws and regulations to enhance the rights and expand the protections for our members and our community; and

WHEREAS Pride At Work recognizes that institutional homophobia, and other negative “isms” are still ingrained in too many of our affiliated union organizations; and

WHEREAS many of our potential coalition partners in the LGBT community have succumbed to classist notions of equal rights and are either unaware or unconcerned about the rights and needs of workers; and

WHEREAS these vital movements – the Labor Movement and the LGBT Movement – can and should be encouraged by PAW’s unique vision for social and economic justice; and

WHEREAS Pride At Work has relied almost exclusively on the generosity of the AFL-CIO and its affiliated unions and on PAW membership dues to fund our outreach, organizing, and educational programs; and

WHEREAS to implement our ambitious agenda PAW needs to increase and therefore diversify its funding base;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the officers and staff of Pride At Work will immediately begin seeking new sources of funding from major donors other then for-profit corporations to provide the financial resources needed to fully realize our mission statement and strategic goals.

Submitted by: PAW Executive Committee

WHEREAS not a day goes by without the news of one or more companies laying off large numbers of workers; and

WHEREAS the Big Three alone are laying off tens of thousands of workers, with the crisis in the auto industry having a ripple effect throughout the whole economy; and

WHEREAS industrial cities are likewise suffering from the crisis in the steel industry, with eleven companies filing for bankruptcy and many plants closing; and

WHEREAS with these mass layoffs, tens of thousands of LGBT workers stand to lose the domestic partner benefits they worked so hard to attain; and

WHEREAS the economic boom of the last decade saw the greatest concentration of wealth in the fewest hands, with the major corporations making record profits, paying exorbitant executive salaries, buying up competitors and completing the biggest mega-mergers in economic history; and

WHEREAS the price of this prosperity for the rich was the widening gap between the superrich and the world’s poor; and

WHEREAS the poverty that has grown alongside this prosperity for a few can only worsen in a period of recession;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Pride At Work condemns this latest wave of closings, raises the demand for universal full employment and calls on its chapters to support community/labor campaigns to stop closings in their area.

Submitted by:
Northeast Ohio Pride At Work
Susan Schnur, Co-chair
Lloyd Clarke, Co-chair
Sharon Dannan, Secretary
Martha Grevatt, Treasurer

WHEREAS the April rebellion in Cincinnati was sparked by a vicious killing of an unarmed 19-year old African-American man; and

WHEREAS this was the 15th such killing in four years, and the fourth since last November; and

WHEREAS this rebellion forced nationwide attention on the national epidemic of police brutality, police killings, and the practice known as “racial profiling”; and

WHEREAS those who are part of the anti-globalization have also experienced police violence in the form of beatings, tear gas, arrests, and rubber bullets; and

WHEREAS the police are routinely used to intimidate striking workers and enforce anti-labor injunctions; and

WHEREAS Pride At Work recognizes that racism is the enemy of both the labor and LGBT movements; and

WHEREAS there is a long history of police harassment and abuse of the LGBT community, this being the spark that ignited the Stonewall Rebellion; and

WHEREAS from Seattle to Cincinnati, it is in labor’s interest to oppose police terror and police state repression

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Pride At Work calls for an end to police brutality, police harassment, and the insidious practice of “racial profiling”

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Pride At Work chapters, where possible, participate in demonstrations and other forms of protests to stop police brutality

Submitted by:
Martha Grevatt, Northeast Ohio Pride At Work

WHEREAS the Bush Administration and the corporations it serves pose a grave threat to the poor, to all working people, and to organized labor both in the United States and everywhere else on the planet; and

WHEREAS the Bush Administration and the corporations it serves oppose to a woman’s right to choose and has already withdrawn support to Family Planning Agencies who offer abortion counseling as an option;

WHEREAS the Bush Administration and the corporations it serves oppose equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender persons as well as Hate Crimes Legislation; and

WHEREAS the Bush Administration and the corporations it serves has appointed John Ashcroft as Attorney-General and continues to support the Death Penalty;

WHEREAS the Bush Administration and the corporations it serves seeks to build an unnecessary new missile defense system and to waste billions of dollars on an inflated pentagon budget; and

WHEREAS a united coalition of the oppressed, organized Labor, People of Color, Women, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People can lead the way to mobilize mass protest against these dangerous and reactionary policies;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that National Pride at Work endorses the Sept. 29. Mobilization initiated by the International Action Center from New York City

Partial List of Initial Endorsers (as of June 1):

Ruth Holbrook, President, Sacramento, CA Central Labor Council; Walter Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer, San Francisco Central Labor Council; David Sole, President, UAW Local 2443; Martha Grevatt, National Secretary, Pride at Work; Bishop Tomas Gumbleton of Detroit, Michigan; Leslie Feinberg; Former Attorney-General Ramsey Clark; Nicaragua Solidarity Network; Ossie Davis; United American Indians of New England; David Dinkins, former Mayor of New York City; Howard Zinn; Rev. Lucius Walker, IFCO Pastors for Peace;

International Action Center

Submitted by: Gerry Scoppettulo, NH Pride At Work

WHEREAS homophobia and anti-unionism have been the hallmark of the political career of Jess Helms; and

WHEREAS PAW believes every country has a right to its own sovereignty; and

WHEREAS PAW believes all workers have the right to organize their own organizations without interference;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that PAW condemns any legislation, including the Helms/Lieberman #S894, which would allocate millions of US dollars to interfere with democractic Cuban workers’ organizations;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that PAW ask the AFL-CIO to denounce such legislation and work for its defeat, and to refuse all sources of funding ultimately originating from Helms/Lieberman #S894.

Submitted by;
Ann Montague, Oregon PAW
Linda Roberts, SEIU L. 10000, Sacramento
Outfront Labor/PAW Seattle
Bob Lewis, SF Bay Area PAW NEB rep
Eileen Berkan, East Bay PAW

WHEREAS the Colombian government is the third-largest recipient of US military aid; and

WHEREAS “Plan Colombia” is a $7.5 billion “aid” package written by the former administration, supported by the current administration, and backed by the Colombian government; and

WHEREAS the cornerstone of Plan Colombia is $1.3 billion in military aid; and

WHEREAS the right-wing paramilitaries, who are Colombian soldiers in disguise, have murdered over 40,000 workers, peasants, and their children in the past 10 years; and

WHEREAS these death squads have killed over 1600 trade unionists; and

WHEREAS a wide number of Colombian labor, community and human rights groups have gone on record opposing the Plan Colombia; and

WHEREAS the Justification for this US war against the Colombian people has been the totally false claim that leftist guerilla armies, which control nearly 50% of Colombian territory, are involved in drug trafficking; and

WHEREAS the Colombian people are suffering from a 20% unemployment rate and a poverty rate of over 50%; and

WHEREAS this war can only benefit the US global corporations, who are lusting after Colombia’s oil, natural gas, coal, nickel, coffee and timber; and

WHEREAS as the US economy enters a recession, workers can little afford to see billions of their hard-earned dollars wasted on a war against the working people of Colombia;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Pride At Work go on record as being unequivocally opposed to Plan Colombia and any further US military aid to Colombia;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we demand money for jobs, housing, health care and education at home, not war.

Submitted by:
Northeast Ohio PAW members:
Lloyd Clarke, Co-Chair
Susan Schnur, Co-Chair
Sharon Danann, Secretary
Martha Grevatt, Treasurer

WHEREAS immigrant workers are often the most abused and exploited members of the workforce often unable to advocate effectively for their rights; and

WHEREAS union membership would help these workers to achieve fair wages, decent benefits and safe working environments; and

WHEREAS in many instances, employers have threatened to report undocumented workers to the Immigration and Naturalization Service both for the purposes of denying these workers decent working conditions and to frustrate workers’ unionization efforts; and

WHEREAS many of these immigrant workers, notwithstanding their legal status, have lived here for many years, paid taxes and contributed to their communities; and

WHEREAS our foreign born domestic partners are not offered equal rights to immigrate under the law which is highly disruptive to our families;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that PAW chapters actively support efforts of the trade union movement to unionize immigrant workers, and to aid immigrant workers in their efforts to achieve legal immigrant status in the United States;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that PAW incorporate LGBT and HIV/AIDS related immigration resources and proposed legislation into its educational materials and website;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that PAW advocates for the children of domestic partners and the domestic partners of American citizens to have the same immigration and naturalization rights as traditional families;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that PAW endorses the resolution supporting immigrant workers’ rights passed by the Executive Council of the AFL-CIO of February 16, 2000;

AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that PAW supports HB 690 Permanent Partnership ACT to allow permanent residents to sponsor their permanent partners for residence in the U.S. and for other purposes.

Submitted by:
PAW Executive Committee

WHEREAS five leaders of ILA Local 1422 in Charleston, South Carolina, face up to five years in prison for charges of “felony riot”; and

WHEREAS these charges stem from what Local 1422 President Ken Riley has termed a “police riot,” an attack by 600 cops on union members picketing a scab ship that occurred January 20, 2000; and

WHEREAS the conflict stemmed from the October, 1999, announcement by the Nordana Line that it would unilaterally terminate its 27-year recognition of Local 1422 that it would henceforth use nonunion labor; and

WHEREAS this racist attack on a predominantly Black local is part of the overall racist climate in South Carolina, most clearly expressed by the state’s unwillingness to completely remove the Confederate flag from State House grounds; and

WHEREAS the Charleston Five have the support of the national AFL-CIO and longshore unions worldwide;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Pride At Work pledges its support to the Charleston Five and demands the charges against them be immediately dropped.

Submitted by:
Northeast Ohio Pride At Work
Susan Schnur, Co-chair
Lloyd Clarke, Co-chair
Sharon Dannan, Secretary
Martha Grevatt, Treasurer

WHEREAS over 600 steelworkers, members of USWA Local 169 in Mansfield, Ohio, have been locked out by AK/Armco Steel since September 1, 1999; and

WHEREAS these workers were turned away after refusing management’s demand that they accept an agreement allowing for unlimited mandatory overtime, wreaking havoc on their personal and family lives; and

WHEREAS it is through heavy overtime that management plans to eliminate over 20% of the jobs at AK Steel; and

WHEREAS AK/Armco management has employed a paramilitary force of 200 hired thugs to harass union workers, following them home and even following their kids home from school; and

WHEREAS management has further harassed the union with numerous frivolous lawsuits; and

WHEREAS production has been continued by hiring out-of-town scabs who are producing inferior quality steel; and

WHEREAS the Big Three, Toyota, and Honda all use this scab produced steel in their US auto manufacturing operations, threatening motorists’ safety as well as bankrolling these now-notorious union-busters;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Pride At Work go on record as extending our wholehearted and unqualified solidarity with the locked out members of USWA Local 169;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Pride At Work will publicize this struggle to its members, and where possible to the broader LGBT community, informing them of the issues and urging a massive LGBT call-in campaign to oppose the use of scab steel in the vehicles we buy.

Submitted by:
Northeast Ohio Pride At Work members:
Susan Schnur, Co-Chair
Sharon Danann, Secretary
Lloyd Clarke, Co-Chair
Martha Grevatt, Treasurer