WHAT: NYC labor press conference against war.
TIME: Thursday, October 4, 12 Noon.
PLACE: Union Square, north side of 14 Street.
WHO: Labor Against War, an ad hoc coalition in response to the September 11 tragedy, supported by more than 100 union members (in their individual capacity) in New York City, including the following eight union presidents:
Larry Adams, National Postal Mail Handlers Union, Local 300; Barbara Bowen, Professional Staff Congress-CUNY/AFT Local 2334; Arthur Cheliotes, Communication Workers of America Local 1180; Michael Letwin, Association of Legal Aid Attorneys/UAW Local 2325; Jill Levy, Council of Supervisors and Administrators, NYS Federation of School Administrators, American Federation of School Administrators Local 1;
Maida Rosenstein, UAW Local 2110; Brenda Stokely, AFSCME Local 215, DC 1707; Jonathan Tasini, National Writers Union/UAW Local 1981.
PRINCIPLES:
-- WAR. It is wrong to punish any nation or people for the crimes of individuals -- peace requires global social and economic justice.
-- JUSTICE, NOT VENGEANCE. An independent international tribunal to impartially investigate, apprehend and try those responsible for the September 11 attack.
-- OPPOSITION TO RACISM -- DEFENSE OF CIVIL LIBERTIES. Stop terror, racial profiling and legal restrictions against people of color and immigrants, and defend democratic rights.
-- AID FOR THE NEEDY, NOT THE GREEDY. Government aid for the victims -- families and displaced workers -- not the wealthy. Rebuild New York City with union labor, union pay, and with special concern for new threats to worker health and safety.
-- NO LABOR AUSTERITY. The cost of September 11 must not be borne by working and poor New Yorkers. No surrender of workers' living standards, programs or other rights.
FULL TEXT AND SIGNATURE LIST BELOW
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New York City Labor Against War September 27, 2001
September 11 has brought indescribable suffering to New York City's working people. We have lost friends, family members and coworkers of all colors, nationalities and religions -- a thousand of them union members. An estimated one hundred thousand New Yorkers will lose their jobs.
We condemn this crime against humanity and mourn those who perished. We are proud of the rescuers and the outpouring of labor support for victims' families. We want justice for the dead and safety for the living.
And we believe that George Bush's war is not the answer.
No one should suffer what we experienced on September 11. Yet war will inevitably harm countless innocent civilians, strengthen American alliances with brutal dictatorships and deepen global poverty -- just as the United States and its allies have already inflicted widespread suffering on innocent people in such places as Iraq, Sudan, Israel and the Occupied Territories, the former Yugoslavia and Latin America.
War will also take a heavy toll on us. For Americans in uniform -- the overwhelming number of whom are workers and people of color -- it will be another Vietnam. It will generate further terror in this country against Arabs, Muslims, South Asians, people of color and immigrants, and erode our civil liberties.
It will redirect billions to the military and corporate executives, while draining such essential domestic programs as education, health care and the social security trust. In New York City and elsewhere, it will be a pretext for imposing austerity on labor and poor people under the guise of national unity.
War will play into the hands of religious fanatics -- from Osama bin Laden to Jerry Falwell -- and provoke further terrorism in major urban centers like New York.
Therefore, the undersigned New York City metro-area trade unionists believe a just and effective response to September 11 demands:
**NO WAR. It is wrong to punish any nation or people for the crimes of individuals -- peace requires global social and economic justice.
**JUSTICE, NOT VENGEANCE. An independent international tribunal to impartially investigate, apprehend and try those responsible for the September 11 attack.
**OPPOSITION TO RACISM -- DEFENSE OF CIVIL LIBERTIES. Stop terror, racial profiling and legal restrictions against people of color and immigrants, and defend democratic rights.
**AID FOR THE NEEDY, NOT THE GREEDY. Government aid for the victims -- families and displaced workers -- not the wealthy. Rebuild New York City with union labor, union pay, and with special concern for new threats to worker health and safety.
**NO LABOR AUSTERITY. The cost of September 11 must not be borne by working and poor New Yorkers. No surrender of workers' living standards, programs or other rights.
Signers (list in formation) (All affiliations and titles listed for identification only)
UNION PRESIDENTS Larry Adams, President, National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 300 Barbara Bowen, President, Professional Staff Congress-CUNY/AFT Local 2334 Arthur Cheliotes, President, CWA Local 1180 Michael Letwin, President, Association of Legal Aid Attorneys/UAW Local 2325
Jill Levy, President, Council of Supervisors and Administrators, NYS Federation of School Administrators, American Federation of School Administrators Local 1 Maida Rosenstein, President, UAW Local 2110 Brenda Stokely, President, AFSCME Local 215, DC 1707 Jonathan Tasini, President, National Writers Union/UAW Local 1981
OTHER UNION MEMBERS Ignacio Meneses, U.S./Cuba Labor Exchange, Ervand Abrahanian, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Tristin Adie, Shop Steward, CWA Local 1109 Marilyn Albert, RN, SEIU Local 1199 George Albro, Secy-Treasurer, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Anthony Arnove, NWU/UAW Local 1981 Sylvia Aron, Human Services Providers Advisory Committee, NYC Central Labor Rehabilitation Council; Past President, AAUP, Adelphi Chapter Stanley Aronowitz, University-Wide Officer & Executive Council, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Daniel Ashworth, Delegate, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Harold Bahr III, Chair, GLTGC, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Thomas Barton, Shop Steward, AFSCME Local 768, DC 37 Nicholas K. Bedell, Grievance Representative, CWE/UFT Dorothee Benz, Communications Director, CWA Local 1180 Carl Biers, Executive Director, Association for Union Democracy Peter Blum, Acting Vice-President/CAB, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Ian Brand, UNITE! Local 169 Caroline N. Brown, AFSCME Local 2627, DC 37 Robert Bomersbach, Organization of Staff Analysts Bill Bradley, Delegate, SEIU Local 32B-J Renate Bridenthal, Chair, International Committee, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334
Rachel Burd, labor consultant, NWU/UAW Local 1981 Chris Butters, AFSCME Local 1070, DC 37 Maria J. Chiu, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Kimberly Christensen, UUP Patricia Clough, Queens College Chapter Officer, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Antonia Codling, Chair, ACLA, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Hillel Cohen, Delegate, SEIU Local 1199 Thelma C. Correll, SEIU Local 1199, Retirees Chapter Executive Committee; Association for Union Democracy Advisory Bd.; PHANYC Jackie DiSalvo, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Claire Crosby, GSEU/UAW Local 2110 Robert E. Dow, AFSCME Local 2627, DC 37 Bryce Dowd, Organizer, SEIU Local 1199 Steve Downs, Executive Board member, TWU Local 100 Phyllis Eckhaus, NWU/UAW Local 1981 Madeleine M. Egger, CWA Local 1101 Hester Eisenstein, Queens College Chapter, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Hugh English, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Hillary Exter, LSSA/UAW Local 2320 Samuel Farber, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Josh Fraidstern, TWU Local 100 Lew Friedman, UFT Eric Fruman, AFT Nanette Funk, Brooklyn College Chapter, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Pam Galpern, Shop Steward, CWA Local 1101 Gary Goff, Recording Secy, AFSCME Local 2627, DC 37 Marty Goodman, Executive Board, TWU Local 100 Winston A. Gordon, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Mark Grashow, former Chapter Chairperson, UFT George Gulifield, AFSCME Local 2627, DC 37 Larry Hanley, City College Delegate, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Bill Henning, Vice-President, CWA Local 1180 Lucy Herschel, Delegate, SEIU Local 1199, Legal Aid Chapter Ed Hilbrich, SSA/SEIU Local 693 Carol Hochberg, Vice-President/JRD, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Norman Hodgett, AFSCME Local 371, DC 37 Nina Howes, RN, Delegate, SEIU Local 1199 Carolyn Hughes, UFT Lisa Jessup, Organizer, UAW Local 2110 Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz, Director, Queens College Worker Education Extension Center; PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Christine Karatnytsky, Executive Board member, New York Public Library Guild, AFSCME Local 1930; Editor, Local 1930 Update David Kazanjian, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Dian Killian, Organizer, Journalism Division, NWU/UAW Local 1981 Terry Klug, Secy-Treasurer, TWU Local 241 Lisa Maya Knauer, GSOC/UAW Local 2110 Daniella Korotzer, Alternate Vice-President/CDD-Brooklyn, Health & Safety Representative, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Kitty Krupat, Bargaining Team, GSOC/UAW Local 2110 Ray Laforest, Staff Representative, DC 1707, AFSCME Jane Latour, Director, Women's Project, Association for Union Democracy; Managing Ed., Hardhat Magazine; NWU/UAW Local 1981 Tatiana Lemon, Delegate, SEIU Local 1199, Legal Aid Chapter Robert Lesko, Vice-President, AFT Local 3882 Eileen A. McCann, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Patrick McCreery, GSOC/UAW Local 2110 Julius Margolin, IATSE Local 52 Barton Meyers, Chair, Grievance Policy Committee, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Aaron Micheau, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Charles Molesworth, Acting Chair, Queens College Chapter, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Kim Moody, NWU/UAW Local 1981; Labor Notes Policy Committee Florence Morgan, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Susan Olivia Morris, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Amy Muldoon, CWA Local 1106 Ken Nash, Building Bridges: Your Community and Labor Report in Exile Marcia Newfield, BMCC Chapter Officer, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Daniel Nichols, AFSCME Local 2627, DC 37 Matt Noyes, Education Coordinator, Association for Union Democracy; NWU/UAW Local 1981 Tony O'Brien, Delegate, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Susan O'Malley, Executive Council, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Charlene Mitchell, Assistant to the President, AFSCME Local 371, DC 37 Chuck Mohan, President, Guyanese-American Workers United; Staff Representative, AFSCME DC 1707 Dennis O'Neil, Legislative Director, NY Metro Area Postal Union (APWU) Richard L. Oeser, IATSE Local 52; Cornell Labor Studies; National Labor College Greg Pason, NJ Steering Committee, NWU/UAW Local 1981 J.P. Patafio, New Directions Caucus & Executive Board member, TWU Local 100
Paul Peloquin, Delegate, LSSA/UAW 2320 Andy Piascik, Program Coordinator, Association for Union Democracy; NWU/UAW Local 1981 John Pietaro, Delegate, SEIU Local 1199, Health Systems Division Pride at Work, NY Jim Provost, LSSA/UAW 2320 Mike Quinn, High School Delegate, UFT Peter Ranis, Executive Council, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Shirley Rausher, BMCC Delegate, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Dominic Renda, CWA Local 1105 Sally Ridgeway, AAUP, Adelphi Chapter Cicely Rodway, Queens College Chapter Officer, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Andrew Rowe, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Jay Schaffner, Supervisor, National Contracts Dept., AFM Local 802 Jose Schiffino, Organizer, UNITE! Local 169 Soo Kyung Nam, UAW Local 2320 Adolph Reed, Jr. NWU/UAW Local 1981 Nancy Romer, Executive Council, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Trudy Rudnick, Organizer, AFT Local 3882 Wendy Scribner, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Hasan Shafiqullah, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Tim Schermerhorn, Vice President, RTO, TWU Local 100 Joyce Soso, AFSCME Local 2627, DC 37 Ann Sparanese, Shop Steward, RWDSU Local 29 Claudette R. Spencer, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Gibb Surette, Delegate, LSSA/UAW 2320 Sean Sweeney, Director, Cornell Labor Studies Kyle Talbert, AFSCME Local 2627, DC 37 Terry Taylor, IBEW Local 827, Black Telephone Workers For Justice Steve Terry, Alternate Delegate, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Miriam Thompson, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Azalia Torres, Alternate Vice-President/CDD-Brooklyn, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Mark Ungar, PSC-CUNY, AFT Local 2334 Lise Vogel, AAUP/CBC Marilyn Vogt-Downey, UFT Kit Wainer, UFT Michael Ware, Shop Steward, CWA Local 1109 Ron Washington, IBEW Local 827, Black Telephone Workers For Justice Edlyn Willer, Delegate, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Corinne Willinger, PEF JoAnn Wypijewski, TNGNY/CWA Ethan Young, NWU/UAW Local 1981 Milton Zelermyer, Delegate, ALAA/UAW Local 2325 Robert Zuss, Vice-President/CDD-Brooklyn, ALAA/UAW Local 2325