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AFSCME 444 Protests Police Attack on ILWU Members and Protesters
AFSCME Local 444 protests police attack on anti-war protesters and ILWU members at Oakland docks last Monday April 7.
Motion passed at AFSCME Local 444 meeting April 10, 2003:
Early Monday morning Oakland police launched a vicious and premeditated attack on anti-war protesters on the Oakland waterfront using weapons like concussion grenades, rubber bullets and wooden slugs. Fifty demonstrators and nine longshoremen, who were simply waiting to start work, were injured. Among the 31 arrested and jailed was Jack Heyman, Business Agent for ILWU Local 10.
About 500 people were attempting to protest the war on Iraq by picketing the terminals of American President Lines and Stevedoring Services of America, both of whom handle war materials. As reported in the Oakland Tribune (4/8/03), officials of the Oakland Police Department, the Port of Oakland, and the two companies met last week on how to prevent protesters from blocking terminal gates. With its resulting bloody assault on antiwar protesters and ILWU members, the government took aim and fired at the stronghold of labor power on the West Coast. Given the ILWU's ability to shut down the ports, it could very well have been an ILWU picket line the cops were attacking. This escalation of police violence was a warning directed at the whole labor movement in the Bay Area, as well as an attack on the very right to protest the U.S. war on Iraq.
AFSCME Local 444 goes on record protesting this attack and demands that all charges be dropped immediately. We stand in solidarity with the antiwar protesters and with our union brothers and sisters. We will post copies of this at work locations and print it in the union newsletter, and we will send it to our sister local AFSCME Local 2019, calling on them to join in protest against this attack.
This motion will be sent to Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, Alameda County DA Thomas Orloff. Copies of this motion will be sent to ILWU Local 10, the Alameda County Central Labor Council, the Contra Costa Central Labor Council, the Oakland Tribune and posted on Indymedia.
Early Monday morning Oakland police launched a vicious and premeditated attack on anti-war protesters on the Oakland waterfront using weapons like concussion grenades, rubber bullets and wooden slugs. Fifty demonstrators and nine longshoremen, who were simply waiting to start work, were injured. Among the 31 arrested and jailed was Jack Heyman, Business Agent for ILWU Local 10.
About 500 people were attempting to protest the war on Iraq by picketing the terminals of American President Lines and Stevedoring Services of America, both of whom handle war materials. As reported in the Oakland Tribune (4/8/03), officials of the Oakland Police Department, the Port of Oakland, and the two companies met last week on how to prevent protesters from blocking terminal gates. With its resulting bloody assault on antiwar protesters and ILWU members, the government took aim and fired at the stronghold of labor power on the West Coast. Given the ILWU's ability to shut down the ports, it could very well have been an ILWU picket line the cops were attacking. This escalation of police violence was a warning directed at the whole labor movement in the Bay Area, as well as an attack on the very right to protest the U.S. war on Iraq.
AFSCME Local 444 goes on record protesting this attack and demands that all charges be dropped immediately. We stand in solidarity with the antiwar protesters and with our union brothers and sisters. We will post copies of this at work locations and print it in the union newsletter, and we will send it to our sister local AFSCME Local 2019, calling on them to join in protest against this attack.
This motion will be sent to Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, Alameda County DA Thomas Orloff. Copies of this motion will be sent to ILWU Local 10, the Alameda County Central Labor Council, the Contra Costa Central Labor Council, the Oakland Tribune and posted on Indymedia.
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If only Fresno's small but very determind and very strong progressive group had the large Unions' support in Fresno. The UFW is here, and the small but growing mighty fighters of SEIU will shout out. But the rest of the Unions turned their backs on the progressive movement. They will not stand up with us in protest...as we protest against the war..as we protest for workers rights..as we protest against the loss of our civil rights in this ultra conservative right wing community. Where are the mighty UNIONS in Fresno?????....are they broken? are they hiding? or have their brothers and sisters from the Bay area forgotten them? There is a whole generation of labor workers in the Central who don't know what Solidarity is,,,,who don't know that is it your right to demand a living wage, 8 hour work days. A whole generation who calls those protesting on the corner and marching in the street....communist! anti-american! peaceniks!.....and are afraid to speak out, who won't even reach out to take a flyer from a protester,,,afraid that someone might see them and they'll lose their job. Fresno is only 3 hours away....Last year..as I stood with a small group on MAY DAY....my brother's friend, who is a Union rep at a glass factory.call me a communist...said it was the day for communist.....Can you imagine if a group of real UNION MEMBERS came down to Fresno and marched on May 1st.....KMJ and the Police would probably call out the National Guard.
I am in envious and grateful awe that the Unions stand up for the Oakland dock protesters.....the picture of the girl is of a women fighting for my rights, my freedom of speech....and you Union workers are the ones supporting that fight....I would never cross your picket line...I would honk for you in support...I would bring you hot coffee and rolls.....it is something I have yet to see in my 20 years of being in Fresno. Peace Fresno stands on Blackstone and Shaw every Friday from 4:30 to 6:30pm. They organize various Marches and would appreciate any support from the Unions.....the laborers of the Valley would be AWED and LIBERATED f you would ever join us. http://www.peacefresno.com
I am in envious and grateful awe that the Unions stand up for the Oakland dock protesters.....the picture of the girl is of a women fighting for my rights, my freedom of speech....and you Union workers are the ones supporting that fight....I would never cross your picket line...I would honk for you in support...I would bring you hot coffee and rolls.....it is something I have yet to see in my 20 years of being in Fresno. Peace Fresno stands on Blackstone and Shaw every Friday from 4:30 to 6:30pm. They organize various Marches and would appreciate any support from the Unions.....the laborers of the Valley would be AWED and LIBERATED f you would ever join us. http://www.peacefresno.com
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