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Build
the Future: Labor Party Convention and Conference Highlights Vowing to reaffirm their commitment to the Labor Party's program – the "Call for Economic Justice" – more than 500 delegates and participants came together for a spirited Second Constitutional Convention of the Labor Party from July 25 through July 28. With full knowledge of the intensified threats and weaknesses faced by both the Labor Party and the labor movement as a whole, delegates also understood the tremendous organizing potential created by the ongoing crisis of corporate legitimacy. The convention opened on Thursday evening with a welcome from Jos Williams, President of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO; a rousing speech by UMWA President Cecil Roberts; and remarks from National Organizer Tony Mazzocchi who set the tone of the Convention in a letter urging delegates to "show tolerance for a diversity of views that allows us to reach out to all segments of the working class." Led by co-chairs Rose Ann DeMoro (Executive Director, California Nurses Association), Donna Dewitt (President, South Carolina AFL-CIO), Brenda Stokely (President, AFSCME District Council 1707) and Baldemar Velasquez (President, Farm Labor Organizing Committee), delegates rose to the occasion. Friday was dedicated to a conference-style discussion of our core issues. After an invigorating keynote speech by United SteelWorkers of America President Leo Gerard, panelists examined the state of health care, worker rights and higher education. A panel on trade was cut short when Congress announced an impending vote on Fast Track. Delegates organized an impromptu march and rally to the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce to protest the vote (the rally was covered by National Public Radio). The business of the convention was the task of Saturday. Despite some potentially divisive debates about the international situation and Labor Party rules and procedures, the Convention expressed overwhelming support for the core programs of the Labor Party and committed to deepening our organizing work in unions and communities. Click here for the full text of resolutions and constitutional amendments passed by the convention. Also look for a full report of the convention in the upcoming issue of the Labor Party Press. The resolution "Current Meltdown of Corporate American" documents the destruction of jobs, benefits and standard of living at the hands of corporate America and reaffirms our commitment to our Call for Economic Justice. A resolution recognizing the contribution of Laura McClure – editor of Labor Party Press for the past six years – drew a standing ovation to wish Sister McClure well in her future endeavors. Asserting that the collapse of the stock market and the exposure of blatant corporate greed provides a perfect moment to shift the terms of the debate, the resolution on "Pensions for All" calls on the Interim National Council (INC) to form a working group to refine and adopt a detailed pension reform proposal for broad distribution in 2003. The Convention also passed a detailed resolution "Good-Quality, Safe and Affordable Housing" which instructs the INC to appoint a commission to begin the development of an organizing strategy around housing issues. Noel Beasley, Chair of the INC Strategic Planning Subcommittee, gave an extensive report to the convention. He called on all activists to step up to the challenge of a more active, broadly collective leadership for the party to survive and grow. He frankly acknowledged the limited resources available at the national level and pointed out that we must reverse the expectations that many of us have developed as trade unionists. Instead of demanding more resources from the national Labor Party organization, we need to learn how to organize so that more resources are available from affiliated and local bodies. On Sunday, delegates discussed organizing strategies resulting in overwhelming approval of the Organizing Committee's resolution which commits the Labor Party to focus on our three core campaigns – Just Health Care, Workers' Rights and Free Higher Education. It reaffirms the electoral strategy adopted at the First Constitutional Convention and encourages all affiliates to enhance recruitment through education and industry-specific organizing plans. The resolution calls for the INC to develop, test and refine procedures for launching Issue Organizing Committees. Our Convention experience shows that our members and affiliates understand that we have a historic opportunity to organize around our core message of economic justice. Now is the time for all activists to come forward to make sure that this message reaches working people throughout the nation. |
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