Home > Three More Major Unions Oppose U.S. War and Occupation in Iraq

Three More Major Unions Oppose U.S. War and Occupation in Iraq

by Open-Publishing - Tuesday 14 September 2004
15 comments

The growing antiwar movement within the AFL-CIO took another leap forward in the past two weeks when three major unions passed strong resolutions at their recent conventions, opposing the U.S. war in Iraq and calling for an end to the American occupation. They are Communications Workers of America (650,000 members), American Postal Workers Union (270,000) and Mail Handlers of the Laborers’ International Union (50,000).

They join the Service Employees International Union (1,6 million) American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (1.2 million) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Workers (60,000), who have also denounced President Bush for his pre-emptive invasion of Iraq and declared they support our troops and want them to be brought home safely, NOW.

In addition, the anti-war movement within the AFL-CIO includes the huge California, Washington State and Maryland/DC federations, which together account for more than 3 million union members. In the past year, dozens of labor councils, regional labor bodies and local unions have taken similar action.

Also in the last few weeks, all of the AFL-CIO’s allied organizations have condemned the war in Iraq and called for the immediate return home of U.S. soldiers. They include the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, the Coalition of Labor Union and Pride at Work.

The driving force in building and guiding the anti-war movement is U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW). Its Web site is www.uslaboragainst war.org.

The CWA resolution won the near-unanimous approval of the 1,400 convention delegates on Aug. 31, with more than 50 of them lined up to speak in favor of an amended version, a key paragraph which read: "CWA demands that the President abandon his failed policy (of preventive war) which has made our nation less - not more - secure, and support our troops and their families by bringing our troops home safely now, by providing adequate veterans’ benefits and promoting domestic policies that prioritize the needs of working people who make up the bulk of the military."

After sharply criticizing President Bush for the invasion of Iraq and his post-war policies, delegates at the APWU convention on Aug. 23-27 approved a resolution that stated: "Resolved, the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO calls for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the implementation of a plan to turn over sovereignty to the people of Iraq as soon as possible, and the return of U.S. troops to their homes and families."

At the National Postal Mail Handlers convention, held Aug. 22-29 in Boston, an anti-war resolution was approved by the delegates, despite its rejection by the Resolutions Committee. A caucus of delegates worked out an amended version based on an article in The New York Times that swayed the delegates to favor the resolution.

What was unusual about the delegates is that more than 40% of them were veterans. The reason for the disproportionate number of union veterans is due in large part to the hiring preferences given to veterans and disabled soldiers by the U.S. Postal Service.

At one point, the names of hundreds of union members currently serving in Iraq were scrolled across the huge movie screen in use at the convention. The amended resolution reads:

"While the National Postal Mail Handlers Union offers its full support for the American troops currently serving in Iraq, the NPMHU also calls for a rapid end to the war and occupation of Iraq. The war and occupation were undertaken based on false claims of the anti-worker Bush administration and have resulted in the death of over 900 American troops and over 10,000 Iraqi civilians. The war and occupation have caused U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars which could be redirected to pay for badly needed social needs, such as jobs, education, housing, and health."

Since the conclusion of the three union conventions, the number of American soldiers killed in Iraq has passed the 1,000 mark and, as of today, stands at 1,005.

Our weekly "LaborTalk" and "Labor and the War" columns can be viewed at our Web site www.laboreducator.org. Union members who seek information about the AFL-CIO rank-and-file reform movement should visit www.rankandfileaflcio.org.

http://www.laboreducator.org/unionsanti.htm

Forum posts

  • There are MANY veterans working for the USPS and members of the APWU. It would be interesting to see what % of the APWU membership REALLY oppose the Iraq action.
    Do you recall what 9/11 did to New York and the following terrorist acts with Anthrax?

    This action in Iraq and Afganistan as well as seeking out other terrorists, is wholly justified and the US citizens need to unite against terrorism, NOT against our President and the Pentagon.

    • 10 year vet here. You posters are lost in the fog of political psyops. Get U.S. out of Iraq...

      http://www.nationalvanguard.org/

    • 27 year vet here. I say that with the next terrorism attack on the US, let’s all just duck under a table and forgive them. Sure! All citizens of this country need to realize what sacrifice the Veterans did, and are making, for the protection of this country. The President needs to be supported even by the APWU because ducking under the table is exactly what will happen if we back down from Iraq, and any other terrorist supporting country. I would give my life to get back in again, and do another 27 years if allowed.

    • Brain damage....

    • If we really cared who the terrorists are we would be looking at our government.

      All intelligent people know that the anthrax came from American labs and could have only been sent out by some crazy American.

      9/11 is a bogus issue and only ignorant people believe the government’s lack of involvement.

      Most union workers do not support the Republicans who have a history of union busting and trying to keep minimum wage increases from happening, and then there was the recent attempt to take average worker’s over-time pay away from them. If you don’t know this, it is time to do some reading and getting a little history lesson in on the subject of the Republicans and their war on the American workers...

    • I guess the founders of this country were all messed up in designing a Constitution that "provides for the common defense", "general welfare" of its citizens. Maybe we should all read the preamble instead of the junk you read about how bad the government is and does all this bogus stuff like on 9/11/01. To think we pay taxes to support these terrible government officials is attrocious. Sure!
      I suppose also that the draft dodger we had as President 1992-2000 was doing something to prevent 9/11.
      Can you live on Minimum wage? If you have a business and want to hire a person to help you, I am sure you want NO PROFIT, so you would pay them $20 per hour to do nothing, like the USPS union workers make.
      Get real when reading some of the stuff you read, use common sense in judging what you read. The over 50% of Americans, the silent majority does, when electing a Republican President who does what the Constitution provides for us tax payers.
      Anthrax terrorist surely were American. Just like the Americans that bombed the Gov building in Oklahoma City and those American Trained pilots who crashed the planes into the Pentagon and NY Towers. Yes, we do have a liberal bleeding heart in America, that allows this to happen. Guess what, these persons all planned and carried out their terrorist acts in this country during the 92-2000 time frame, but just happened to crash the planes 9 months of a real Presidency took the office. We never had time to correct the 8 yrs of failures and embarrassments in only 9 months. When will we just realize that War on Terrorism needs to be taking place OUTSIDE the US such as Iraq, Afgahnistan, and others. Why let it come here? These terrorists hate Americans in ordr to do such things. There is similar hatred and is too rampant in this country. Even in our USPS work force. Especially when we lie about some of the persons who really do care about the country’s future. By the way I read alot, having 3 college degrees and have many HISTORY courses on my transcripts.
      Also as an American Worker, the tax breaks I received since 2001 under the Republican Congress and Presidency has REALLY helped my family yearly take home pay/income.

    • Stupid beyond help....

  • As a CWA member I am appalled by what My international is allowing to happen to my Union. They seem to think that they can speak for all members on any issues they want, I for one feel that they need to stick to doing what I pay dues for. Collective Bargaining, grievance handling and legislative issues that effect my Job. From now on I think I’m going to withhold my political contributions from my dues.

    • I am always amazed by the average Republican male who will cut off his nose to spite his pocket book....

  • If you will re read the APWU statement it does not say the union is opposed to the war. It said to turn over to Iraq the power as soon as possible and leave. That is not a statement to oppose the war. How dare the union get involved in something that is none of the unions business. This is an individual decision and does not need to be put fourth by the union. The union has enough trouble on its own without meddling in this. Leave this subject to the individual person. This subject was not even on the schedule to be discussed. I supposed the only people asked were the ones with a negative feeling on the war. STOP giving my view piont without asking me!

    • Dude the union busters are in control of the government....if you don’t care about their politics or being informed that is your business, but do not kid yourself about which party cares about the workers, it isn’t too hard to find out. As a union member, I trust the leadership and am glad they keep up on political issues. The war stinks and the administration stinks.

    • The unions create their own demise. What party is it that created the inflation in 1975-1980 by raising taxes, and spent more money on Welfare items over and above what the Constitution requires the Gov to provide the citizens? What Party was it that raised taxes by highest %increase ever, in 1993? What does this do to the workers’ wages and take home pay? Your so called leadership is only looking out for their welfare by goating you to believe they can get even more out of the employers, and trying to keep your dues coming in to support their big wallets. What kind of salary does your leadership get from your dues compared to yours? check that out

      War does stink. Why do we go to war anyway? Maybe read the history books and see why the US was drawn into the 1st and 2nd World Wars. People like Sadaam Hussein create this atmosphere. It is not the President or Congress saying we want to cut US population by killing off its young men and women, or find another excuse to raise taxes to get more revenue for big government projects. We would not need to go to war if we continued with the Reagan Foreign policies of the 80s. We gave up 8 yrs of the US pride in the World by two mistakes in the elections of 1992 and 1994. The US voters should be embarassed after those years of corruptness of government power in both branches.

    • What party has us mired in another unwinable war......Bushco and the GOP...let’s get rid of these union busters once and for all.

  • I have been a proud member of the APWU for 27 years, but I SUPPORT the invasion and occupation of Iraq by our armed forces. Just because our union "officially" protests against the war does NOT mean all union members follow suit. We do have minds of our own.