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OF LABOR, AFL-CIO 45th ANNUAL CONVENTION
197 delegates representing over 50,000 Iowa AFL-CIO union members met in Waterloo on August 15-17, 2001 to lay out the Federation’s legislative and political agenda for the next year and to elect officers. Organize or Die AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson described the AFL-CIO’s "campaign to respect work and strengthen family and our struggle to help more working people organize into our movement." She explained that the concept "respect work" encompasses everything from fair wages to a Union voice at the workplace, and includes immigrant workers in America as well as workers abroad. She warned if our fellow workers in other countries are underpaid and unprotected, "it turns into a race to the bottom for all workers." We "strengthen family" she said, by fighting for family friendly workplaces and building up our family protection programs. Chavez-Thompson talked also about what she called "the most important word in the entire Union Movement—organize." "Organizing our Sisters and Brothers into Unions is not a luxury or something we can do in our spare time, it is in fact our very life blood." She noted that the AFL-CIO Executive Council recently approved a "Statement of Principles" affirming workers’ right to form a Union. She urged delegates to make use of this in next year’s elections when candidates come asking for support. "Get their signature on the Principles before you endorse them." She also stressed the importance of working extra hard for the re-election of Tom Harkin and Tom Vilsack, who will be up against the "most anti-Union, anti-working family candidates that the other party can find." A Pro-Worker Agenda Thursday’s keynoter, Senator Tom Harkin blasted Republicans for their refusal to deal with problems facing working Americans. Now that the Democrats control the Senate, Harkin predicted that a pro-worker agenda will emerge that will include: Attack on Government Labor Center staff member Roberta Till-Retz’s presentation to the convention hit upon what unfolded as the dominant theme of the convention: "The Attack on Government." She pointed out that this all-out attack began with Ronald Reagan proclaiming that government was the problem, not the solution, and Democrats happily continued the assault under the banner of Bill Clinton’s declaration that "the era of big government is over." Accordingly, the number of Americans who believe that big government is the biggest threat to the future of the country jumped from 43 percent in 1979 to 65 percent in 1999. Why do the rich hate government so much? Till-Retz blamed it on the so-called "profitability crisis" of the 1970’s, when a more powerful Labor Movement forced them to share more of their profits with working people. The rich responded with a six-point corporate agenda: 1) cut taxes on corporations and the rich; 2) privatize, downsize, outsource government; 3) deregulate business; 4) enact free trade agreements; 5) let the Federal Reserve suppress inflation; and 6) weaken Unions and workers’ rights to organize. She went on to chronicle how this agenda is "rolling over us right now;" taxes are being cut everywhere; services and regulations are being cut; the size of the federal government is declining; wages are down; Union membership is down; corporate welfare is up; and free trade is on the rise. Till-Retz offered a four-point fight back strategy that includes research and analysis, involvement of Union members, coalition-building in the community, and political action. She mentioned living wage campaigns and corporate handouts as great local issues to build on and urged delegates to join in on "the counterattack to defend democratic governments and rein in corporate power." Other speakers included: Governor Tom Vilsack MacDonald Smith, Legal Counsel Dan Holub, Labor Center David Osterberg, Iowa Policy Project Joanne Ricca, Wisconsin AFL-CIO John Whitaker, Iowa Farmers Union Stewart Acuff, Midwest Region, AFL-CIO Byron Orton, Labor Commissioner Dennis Kivikko, Union Label & Service Trades, AFL-CIO
Officer Elections Sixteen officers were elected to 4-year terms to serve the needs of working Iowans. Labor Hall of Fame Delegates unanimously elected Gene Redmon, UFCW; Alan Lee, UFCW; and Marian Moffitt, CWA to the Federation’s Labor Hall of Fame. Resolutions Delegates passed 18 resolutions dealing with such topics as: Protecting Workers from Excessive Hours Limits on Mandatory Overtime For Health Care Workers Safe Staffing For Health Care Facilities Achieving a Working Family Agenda
If you would like copies of the resolutions, drop us a note or give us a call and we’ll mail them to you. |
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Protecting Workers from Excessive Hours The resolution supports legislation to reduce hours of work, increase paid time off, grant the right to refuse overtime and strengthen the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as other state and Federal worker protection legislation.
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Delegates asked for support of legislation to give all workers the right to frequent and reasonable rest and meal breaks without loss of pay. The resolution called for prompt and harsh punishment of employers who violated this basic right.
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The resolution urges support for legislation to limit mandatory overtime for health care workers.
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The convention voted to support legislation on state and federal levels that would set standards for staffing in health care facilities.
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Delegates unanimously supported legislation to fund a study and report to the people of Iowa on the status of child labor in Iowa. The studies would cover the nature of child labor, the number of children working and the types of jobs they are doing. Delegates also urged enforcement of existing child labor laws and establishment of civil penalties for child labor violations under Iowa law.
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This resolution called for union leaders to educate members on the issue of trade and the impact of NAFTA on working people. Delegates are opposed to granting Fast Track Authority that would allow future, similar trade agreements such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), which would also harm the interests of workers.
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The Convention voted to support efforts to find a viable new form of immigration legalization, educate Iowa union members on issues of immigration and lobby the Iowa Congressional Delegation on legislation to protect all working families, including support of the right to organize and join unions as a basic human right.
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Delegates urged the Federation to assist in the establishment of Faith and Labor chapters in all Iowa Central Labor Councils.
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This resolution offered conditional support for charter schools, based on rigorous accountability of charter schools that includes: holding all students to high academic standards, ensuring that classrooms are safe and disciplined, reducing class sizes, using instruction programs with a track record of success, covering school employees under collective bargaining agreements, hiring certified teachers and educating all students.
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Delegates unanimously supported a resolution to demand that South Carolina Attorney General and Gubernatorial Candidate Charlie Condon drop the unreasonable, excessive and unjust charges against the Charleston 5.
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Delegates urged the Federation, Central Labor Councils and Local Unions across Iowa to inform workers and their families of the ongoing Bush assault on working families and to encourage members of Congress to oppose the Bush Administration's agenda.
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The resolution urges the Federation to work to ensure that the State's budget provide for adequate funding to preserve Iowa's ability to provide for the legitimate needs of its citizens.
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The Convention unanimously supported a call to educate members on the need for government to have sufficient resources to meet the legitimate needs of its citizens. Delegates called for continued support for a fair tax system and opposition to unjust tax cuts that disproportionately benefit wealthy individuals and corporations.
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The need for education and communication regarding the solvency of Social Security and the disastrous impact that privatization would have on this important social safety net prompted the passage of a resolution supporting membership contacts with Iowa's Congressional delegation to oppose any efforts to privatize Social Security.
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The importance of electing pro-worker elected officials in order to attain a working family agenda was stressed in this resolution.
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Unionists were urged to contact Iowa's Representatives and Senators to oppose the Bush prescription drug plan and any efforts to privatize Medicare.
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