Day Three Continued

AFL-CIO Executive Vice-President Linda Chavez-Thompson spoke to the delegates of the importance of getting out the vote. She was followed by President of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of State City and Municipal Employees Bill Lucy.

“I am here to tell you that state and city workers are with you all the way,” President Lucy stated. “We in the public sector realize that our fortunes are tied together. When manufacturing prospers, we prosper.

There was a time in this country when the American dream came true. A person grew up, went to school, got a job, married their sweetheart, had children, bought a home, sent the children to college and then enjoyed a well deserve retirement. The president of your company lived across town from you, but lived in the same town. But something happened along the way. This system was robbed. Today, companies are in a rush to move offshore with jobs and profits. These offshore moves allow them to get around paying their taxes in addition to getting virtual slave labor. I heard of a consulting firm that was telling companies that the only downside to moving offshore was the patriotism factor. But, they go on to say that these days you must place profits ahead of patriotism.

Each Friday, more breadwinners return home with a pink slip. These are not numbers, but people who must face a family at home and explain where they will get food, where they will get clothes, how they will afford their home and how they can afford a college education. It should be no surprise that an administration that shows no loyalty to its country should show any loyalty to its people.

Three times the Democrats have tried to close the loopholes for offshore accounting and three times the President has said no.

The time has come for a change. We cannot measure the greatness of America by the corporate profits of one quarter, but rather the prosperity of a generation of its people. We need a tax bill that makes jobs a priority. Lets replace laws that encourage the movement of good paying American jobs and tax shelters, with laws that provide tax relief for the creation of American jobs.

Just a short distance for here contains a granite wall with the names of 58,000 fathers, sons, brothers, daughters, mothers and friends that died half a world away for this country. But yet, we have a trade deficit with Vietnam? How can a President who supports this call himself a patriot? Every call to arms this country has ever known was of your sons and daughters, not the sons and daughters of CEO’s and millionaires. Einstein said that an optimist was a person who performed the same action again and again, but expected different results. President Bush must be an optimist, because he has used the same theories that Regan and his father used to the same disastrous effects. He calls himself a patriot and feels justified with taking out one tyrant while doing trade with a country like China? The time has come, the time is now and it is up to us to make certain that President Bush’s time in the White House ends November 02, 2004.”

A video was also shown about the incident that occurred at the World Trade Organization meeting in Miami, Florida during November of 2003. Thousands of peaceful protestors showed up protest the Free Trade Area for the Americas (FTAA) that has the main topic of discussion. A similar meeting in Seattle in 1999 resulted in an outbreak of violence between police and the demonstrators. The ACLU meet with Miami Police prior to the demonstration to make certain the same thing would not happen again.

However, the demonstrators in Miami were met with police in riot gear. There were no reports of disorderly conduct from the protestors when police began an all out assault on the crowd. A total of 282 people were arrested. Police opened fire with rubber and wooden bullets, and used batons, electronic shields and concussion grenades. Over thirty people were injured from rubber bullets, with many sustaining serious head injuries. A number of the arrested were beaten as well. These so-called criminals included senior citizens, union members, activists, journalist and bystanders. The Mayor of Miami praised the actions of the police department for displaying a “model of homeland defense.” The Bush administration sent 8.5 million dollars of the Homeland Defense Fund to backup police actions in Miami. These were not terrorist, but Americans exercising their first amendment rights. These were working Americans just like you and I that fell victim to beatings and being shot by police who were provided by 8.5 million of your tax dollars from a President that worries about tyrants in other countries.

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich Trumka ended the meeting with a charge to the delegates. “I encourage all 3500 of you to go to the hill and meet with your elected officials and tell them what our issues are. While George Bush has presided over these jobs losses and was personally responsible for much of it, it didn’t start with him and he hasn’t done it alone. The House and Senate have both passed bills that allow corporate greed while evaporating American jobs. It is time to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions. It is time to ask them which side they are on. Now, go to the hill and take our message that we will not stand for the continual erosion of manufacturing jobs. We are working Americas last hope and we must get to the task.”

Following the meeting the group made their way to Capital Hill. Region 8 delegates met with members of the House. The Senate buildings were closed due to terrorist activities, preventing meetings. However, the House office buildings were filled with union members carrying your union message to our elected officials.