SIU Members Will Sail Aboard Ready Reserve Force Ships
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29230_P01,2,6.qxd 8/26/2005 9:44 AM Page 1 Volume 67, Number 9 September 2005 MarAd Contracts Awarded SIU Members Will Sail Aboard Ready Reserve Force Ships The U.S. Maritime Administration recently announced the award of operating contracts for the U.S. Ready Reserve Force (RRF)—a development that helps ensure the job security of Seafarers for years to come. Seafarers-contracted companies will operate all 54 ships in the RRF fleet, including the Cape Vincent, pictured above at anchor in the harbor off Souda Bay, Crete, Greece. The decks of the ship are loaded with heavy military equipment to supply troops mobilizing in support of the continuing war on terrorism. Page 3. Maritime Progress Spotlighted by MTD CIVMARS Save Lives in Separate Incidents Members of the union’s Government Services Division recently participat- ed in separate rescues at sea. Above, Convention also Highlights a rescue boat from the Seafarers- crewed Military Sealift Command Need for Labor Solidarity combat stores ship USNS San Jose Guest speakers at the Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO 2005 retrieves a Pakistani fisherman quadrennial convention July 21-22 in Chicago offered passionate words stranded off the coast of the United of support for U.S. maritime labor and also stressed the importance of Arab Emirates. Seafarers from the solidarity throughout the union movement. Pictured at right (from left) are Oscar Sette later were involved in a MTD and SIU President Michael Sacco, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich rescue in Hawaii. Pages 4, 5. Trumka and MTD Secretary-Treasurer Frank Pecquex. Some of the delegates and guests are pictured above. Pages 3, 11-14. Federation Vows Ships Activated Recertified Stewards To Persevere Due to Hurricanes Share Many Insights Page 2 Page 4 Page 7 2 29230_P01,2,6.qxd 8/26/2005 9:46 AM Page 2 President’s Report Sweeney: Federation Will Persevere United We Stand AFL-CIO President John Sweeney—despite the Sweeney described the fractures as “a tragedy for July defections of three major unions and resulting working people. Because at a time when our corpo- John Sweeney said it best. When it comes to division within loss of more than 3 million members—has vowed to rate and conservative adversaries have created the the labor movement, only our enemies are rejoicing. hold the federation together and continue to guide most powerful anti-worker political machine in the Sweeney, the president of the AFL-CIO, its crusade for the future of America’s working fam- history of our country, a divided movement hurts the made that comment just before three major ilies. hopes of working families for a better life. unions left the federation in late July. The The ditching of the federation by the “And that makes me very angry. The labor move- departures of the Service Employees, Teamsters International Brotherhood of the Teamsters, Service ment belongs to all of us—every worker—and our and United Food and Commercial Workers Employees International Union and United Food future should not be dictated by the demands of any coincided with the AFL-CIO convention in and Commercial Workers coincided with the labor group or the ambitions of any individual. Chicago. organization’s convention in Chicago July 25-28. “But it is also my responsibility to hold our In the wake of their leaving, media types During that conference, which marked the 50th movement together, because our power is vested in Michael Sacco across the country—many of whom don’t under- anniversary of the federation’s formation, Sweeney our solidarity. So I want you to know I will over- stand or could care less what unions and members of his team (Secretary-Treasurer come my own anger and disappointment and do do—offered lots of talk about what it all means for the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka and Executive Vice President everything in my power to bring us back where we for rank-and-file union members and for working families in gen- Linda Chavez-Thompson) were reelected as the belong—and that’s together…” eral. Some said there may be a silver lining, in that the division AFL-CIO’s top leaders. They initially were elected Two weeks after the convention, during an could spur changes in the approach to organizing campaigns that to their respective offices in 1995. appearance before the delegates and guests of the lead to growth in union membership. Others said it might signal Sweeney learned that the defectors formally had 67th Convention of the AFL-CIO Building and the beginning of the end of the union movement in the United quit the federation just prior to the delivery of his Construction Trades Department in Boston, States. Still others took a more cautious view, acknowledging that keynote address to the convention delegates. He Sweeney stated, “We don’t have time to wring our no one knows for sure what it’ll mean in the long run. pulled few punches on how he viewed the actions of hands in anguish over the internal difficulties we’re For the time being, I think it’s clearly a step in the wrong the rebel unions. He also left little doubt about how facing because the external challenges we’re con- direction. Solidarity is such a fundamental concept in the labor he viewed the federation’s future. In part, the AFL- fronting grow more urgent every day. So when it movement, I’m skeptical that anyone honestly views disaffilia- CIO president said, “One of my greatest responsi- comes to the unions that have disaffiliated, let me tions as a positive step for any union or for any worker. bilities as your president is to be honest with you paraphrase an old labor challenge. Let’s pause and But I’m equally confident that this won’t be a fatal blow to our when things go wrong, and this morning is one of say a prayer for the dead, but let’s get back up and movement. Unions have come and gone throughout America’s those times. Despite the best efforts of a lot of good put on the armor of solidarity and keep fighting like history. The American Federation of Labor can trace its roots to people, several of our largest unions have decided hell for the living.” the 1880s. In fact, as many of you know, the American Federation not to join us at this historic convention—this cru- Sweeney and members of his team developed a of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations weren’t cial convention. I am deeply disappointed my own plan to improve the ability of the union movement at even in the same federation for about 20 years, from the mid- union is among them. all levels to organize and mobilize its members for 1930s until 1955. The CIO started out as a splinter group from the “One of the film clips you saw in the preamble political action. The team’s plan, adopted by AFL- presentation was from the 1936 strike that launched CIO convention delegates, calls for major structural AFL. my union—SEIU Local 32BJ in New York City. changes in the federation to better enable the union Eventually, the officials and members of that day relearned the Those men and women literally had to kick their movement to fight back against 30 years of corporate old lessons of solidarity, and the AFL-CIO was formed. I don’t way into the AFL—the federation didn’t want them assault, abetted by lawmakers who frequently do the know how long it will take this time, but there’s no reason why because they were only lowly janitors and elevator bidding of big business and compounded by massive we cannot reunite somewhere along the line. After all, the work- operators. They got a charter, but the AFL revoked global economic changes. It also provides extensive ing people in the grocery stores, or moving cargo on trucks, or it after their first organizing campaign failed. But new resources for organizing and creates a year- cleaning the floors are still union members—like us, fighting for with the help of the typographers and the garment round political mobilization. better conditions for all. workers and dozens of other unions, they won a Delegates approved raising the per capita tax for In the SIU, we know all about the benefits of unity and the huge strike for recognition. Within 10 years they each national and international union and organizing drawbacks of standing apart. We learned a hard lesson for 40- had 40,000 members and they became the flagship committee to 65 cents per member per month, up some years fighting the old NMU. Employers enjoyed pitting us of SEIU—a sturdy financial and spiritual base for from 53 cents. They supported convention action on against each other. All of that changed when the NMU merged the leaders who followed. Resolution 61, which establishes a special fund to into the SIU four years ago. I don’t know anyone who could say “After that history of struggle to get into the provide emergency support to state and central labor with a straight face that we’re not stronger today than we were AFL, pulling out of our convention dishonors the bodies, to combat raids by disaffiliating unions and before merger. It’s really very simple: In unity, there is strength. founders and the members of my union.” to assist trade and industrial departments. I remain on record as fully supporting John Sweeney along with AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich Trumka and AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson.