PSC RESOLUTION ON WAR AND TERROR -- AND RELATED INFORMATION ABOUT ANTI-WAR ACTIVITY IN THE UNIONS AND ON THE CAMPUSES
DA RESOLUTION
Click HERE for Delegate Assembly Resolution Opposing Expansion Of Us Military Campaigns in a Permanent and Unconditional "War on Terror"
click image for slide show & photo gallery of PSC at the rally
More than 500 PSC members joined several hundred thousand in NYC (and millions more in 600 cities around the world) on Saturday, February 15th. The PSC marched again on Saturday, March 22nd.U.S. LABOR AGAINST THE WAR
100 trade unionists from 76 local, regional and national unions, central labor councils and other labor organizations representing over 2 million members established "U.S. Labor Against the War." After a month of discussion in the chapters, the PSC D.A. endorsed the USLAW statement.
Click HERE for more info.
RESOLUTION
OPPOSING EXPANSION
OF US MILITARY CAMPAIGNS IN A
PERMANENT AND UNCONDITIONAL
"WAR ON TERROR"
WHEREAS,
we write as New Yorkers, as unionists and as people who have dedicated their
professional lives to open discussion of complex questions; and
WHEREAS,
our location in New York means that we have felt and continue to feel the
effects-ranging from minor dislocations to profound grief-of the murderous
attacks of September 11th , and that we take seriously the danger of future
attacks; and
WHEREAS,
the members of the Professional Staff Congress were among the many people who
responded magnificently to the catastrophe and who suffered terrible loss that
day: eight of our members died in the attack, as did numerous family members and
friends, at least 30 of our students and 161 alumni of the City University of
New York; and
WHEREAS,
President Bush, in his January 29, 2002 State of the Union address stated that
"our war on terror is well begun, but it is only begun," and Vice
President Dick Cheney has said it is possible that the war might be expanded to
"forty or fifty other countries," possibly lasting "fifty years
or more"; and
WHEREAS,
President Bush, speaking in Germany on May 23, 2002, called the Iraqi leader
Saddam Hussein "a threat to all civilization" and appealed to German
legislators for help "in waging a wider war on terrorism," (The New
York Times, 5/23/02); and
WHEREAS,
with military spending already accounting for nearly one-fifth of the total
federal budget and over half of all Congressional discretionary spending,
President Bush's proposed military budget of $396 billion, coupled with current
tax policy, will create austerity for working people and disinvestment in
education, health care, environmental safety and other human needs; and
WHEREAS,
the Bush Administration has sharply limited civil liberties and access to
information since September 11th: Freedom of Information Act policies have been
revised to restrict access for journalists, scholars and others; Congress passed
the USA-PATRIOT Act, which permits breakage and entry without court orders,
expansion of wiretaps, imprisonment of suspected terrorists without trial, and
secret military tribunals; and
WHEREAS,
public discussion in the United States of the way to create domestic security
has been narrowly focused on war, neglecting issues that contribute to domestic
insecurity such as US foreign policy, the consequences of globalization,
inequities in the distribution of wealth, and others; and
WHEREAS,
modern weapons mean that heavy loss of civilian life is now an intrinsic part of
war, not an accidental consequence: according to the United Nations Conference
on Children, 90% of war casualties are now civilian, as opposed to 5% during
World War I; and
WHEREAS,
we as a union have engaged in a two-month period of discussion on the position
the PSC should take on the current military policy of the US government, using
chapter meetings, the Delegate Assembly, chapter newsletters, the union
newspaper and the website to conduct a vigorous and democratic debate; and
WHEREAS,
members expressed many different points of view in the discussion, but
consistently raised three themes: condemnation of the terrorist attacks, concern
about security and the domestic consequences of war, and opposition to expansion
of war; therefore
BE
IT RESOLVED, that the Professional Staff Congress reaffirm the resolutions
it passed unanimously on September 20, 2001, which condemned the terrorist
attacks of September 11th , extended sympathy to those grieving for people they
loved, and offered solidarity with fellow workers in a time of mourning; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Professional Staff Congress oppose the
unconditional expansion of military campaigns by the United States as a
substitute for a strategy in response to September 11th that would genuinely
protect collective security and individual freedom, in a manner consistent with
our Constitutional principles; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Professional Staff Congress call for a broad
public discussion of how to create real and lasting security that goes beyond
war as the only solution, considering such issues as US foreign policy, the
consequences of globalization, and inequities in the distribution of wealth; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Professional Staff Congress oppose the federal
funding priorities that cannot be separated from a commitment to expanded war
and permanent militarization: austerity for labor and disinvestment in
education, health care, environmental safety and other human needs; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Professional Staff Congress oppose the
curtailment of civil, human and immigrant rights and of academic freedom for
both students and faculty that is also directly related to expansion of war and
permanent militarization; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Professional Staff Congress continue the union
discussion begun this spring on war and related issues at chapter and
university-wide meetings during the 2002-03 academic year, for such a discussion
will strengthen us as a union, deepening our practice of democracy and
participating in the richest tradition of unionism; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that
the Professional Staff Congress bring this or a similar resolution to the labor,
academic and community groups with which it is affiliated, calling on them to
take the lead in proposing an agenda that frees all people from terror and
promotes peace through justice.
[NOTE: Two months of debate preceded this resolution. Discussion took place at the chapters, in the pages of the May Clarion and on this Website. Click here for materials provided on this Website to promote debate.]
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USLAW Resolution Whereas union members and leaders have the responsibility to inform all working people about issues that affect their lives, jobs and families, and to be heard in the national debate on these issues; and Whereas the principal victims of any military action in Iraq will be the sons and daughters of working class families serving in the military who will be put in harm’s way, and innocent Iraqi civilians who have already suffered so much; and Whereas we have no quarrel with the ordinary working class men, women and children of Iraq, or any other country; and Whereas the billions of dollars spent to stage and execute this war are being taken away from our schools, hospitals, housing and Social Security; and Whereas the war is a pretext for attacks on labor, civil, immigrant and human rights at home; and Whereas Bush’s drive for war serves as a cover and distraction for the sinking economy, corporate corruption and layoffs; and Whereas such military action is predicted actually to increase the likelihood of retaliatory terrorist acts; and Whereas there is no convincing link between Iraq and Al Qaeda or the attacks on Sept. 11, and neither the Bush administration nor the UN inspections have demonstrated that Iraq poses a real threat to Americans; and Whereas U.S. military action against Iraq threatens the peaceful resolution of disputes among states, jeopardizing the safety and security of the entire world, including Americans; and Whereas labor has had an historic role in fighting for justice; therefore We hereby establish the “U.S. Labor Against the War’ (USLAW)”; and Resolve that U.S. Labor Against the War stands firmly against Bush’s war drive; and Further resolve that U.S. Labor Against the War will publicize this statement, and promote union, labor and community antiwar activity. |
After a month of discussion in the chapters, the PSC-DA overwhelmingly endorsed the resolution (in the adjoining column) at its February 27th meeting. Below are links to two articles providing more information about USLAW At its June 19, 2003 meeting, the PSC Delegate Assembly passed two follow-up resolutions, one establishing a special committee to work on anti-war issues and a second supporting a City Council resolution protecting civil liberties and opposing the U.S. Patriot Act. Click here for text of the resolutions. Click here for list of labor unions, federations and councils that have passed anti-war resolutions. Heads of British and American Labor Movements Send Joint Letter to Blair and Bush on Iraq. John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO -- representing 13 million American working men and women -- and John Monks, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress of Great Britain -- representing 7 million British working men and women -- sent a joint letter to President Bush and Prime Minister Blair today asking them to “take every possible step to achieve the legitimate ends of disarming Iraq without recourse to war.” Click here for letter. AFL-CIO
Executive Council, by unanimous resolution
(2/27/03), opposes war with Iraq at this
time. Click here
for
AP news story. The American Federation of Teachers, our parent affiliate, took a different position.*
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