Immigrant rights and
right-to-organize are focus
of 2003 Convention

"All working men and women want the same thing, and they are willing to fight for it if we organize them."

So said Maria Elena Durazo, a dynamic labor leader out of Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 11 in Los Angeles, in her rousing keynote address at the opening day of the Washington State Labor Council 2003 Convention in Wenatchee held Aug. 21-23.  She focused many of her comments on the issue of immigrant rights and urged delegates to get involved in the upcoming Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride.

She said there are those who declare hard-working tax-paying immigrant families as "illegals."  "Brothers and Sisters, how many times have that term been used against us?" asked Durazo, herself a daughter of migrant farm workers from Northern Mexico.  "Our strikes are called illegal, our picket lines illegal... It used to be illegal for black man to sit at same counter of rest of us.  What’s really illegal is a boss that pays a workers less that what they deserve."

WSLC President Rick Bender opened the convention with a summary of legislative and political developments during the past year, and laid out the challenges facing organized labor in the coming years.

Bender cited the convention theme of "Justice for All" as a "lofty goal" but "we have a long way to go before we achieve it... and we just took a detour in this last legislative session."  He described the dramatic benefit cuts in our unemployment insurance and workers' compensation, and urged delegates to hold their legislators accountable for their positions on these issues. (See the WSLC's 2003 Legislative Report for more information.)

OTHER DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS

Elaine Bernard, Director of Harvard University's Trade Union Program, had a few things to say about the past legislative session as well. She held up the WSLC's 2003 Legislative Report with headlines like "Banner year for business" and "Unemployment system gutted" and said it reads like a Stephen King horror novel. She got delegates laughing with her depiction of the "zombies" who support legislative and political attacks on working people.

"They're zombies and you cannot kill a zombie, they’re already dead.  A good argument won’t change that," Bernard said.  "You must go after the zombies’ masters. They are in Olympia, in Washington D.C., and in the corporate board rooms."

Two Democratic gubernatorial candidates for 2004, King County Executive Ron Sims and State Supreme Court Justice Phil Talmadge, also made their early pitch for support from organized labor. Both drew applause by committing to funding state home care workers' contract and touting other pro-labor positions that contrasted with those of Gov. Gary Locke.

The WSLC will not make endorsements for 2004 elections until its spring COPE Convention (Committee on Political Education).

And speaking of political action, the Power to the People Award went to all Washington locals of the Service Employees International Union for outstanding political activism. SEIU volunteers covered more than 1,300 of the neighborhood walking shifts in the 2002 Labor Neighbor program, more than any other union and about 40 percent of the total.

DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray was Friday's Keynote speaker and she alluded to the controversial legislation that divided the labor community in the 2003 session. (See the WSLC's June 2003 newsletter for more information.) Murray urged labor unity and solidarity: "We are stronger when we stand together," she said.

She also vowed to fight aggressively to retain her seat in the 2004 election. She got delegates on their feet when she declared that if President Bush thinks his influence will help Republican challenger Rep. George Nethercutt win her seat next year, "then they don't know the first thing about Patty Murray!"

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union was presented the Mother Jones Award for exemplary union advocacy by the WSLC's Economic Development and Job Retention Committee. ILWU representatives thanked all other unions for their support during last fall's historic West Coast lockout and President Bush's unprecedented intervention. They union held firm and ultimately achieved a fair contract.

The WSLC Women's Committee presented its annual Elsie Schraeder Award to Maureen Bo, recently retired Business Manager of Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 8. Once a WSLC secretary, Bo rose through the leadership ranks of her union to ultimately serve as International Vice President of the OPEIU. Throughout her distinguished career she was a strong advocate for women workers and promoted their involvement in the leadership of the labor movement.

Also among Friday's special guest speakers were Attorney General (and gubernatorial candidate) Christine Gregoire, who was well-received at the convention banquet.  In addition, U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-1st), who some speculate may enter the gubernatorial race, addressed delegates Friday.

Also at the convention banquet, Bob Roberts, recently retired apprenticeship coordinator for the Laborers union, received the Bruce Brennan Award for outstanding advocacy in promoting union apprenticeship programs. Clearly moved by the honor, Roberts thanked his wife and daughters, both of whom were in attendance.

DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS

Sarurday, Aug. 23, the final day of the 2003 Convention, focused solely on the debate and passage of resolutions, which establish the organization's positions or policies on issues. See the 2003 WSLC Resolutions.

The 2004 Washington State Labor Council Convention is scheduled for August 16-19 at the Tacoma Sheraton Hotel.

Copyright © 2003  Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO