[pf] Fw: [WIS-CO]Green Scare in IL AFL-CIO - Solidarity Requested

by Jill Taylor Bussiere

23 December 2000 16:56 UTC

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Ben Manski <mdwstnaderladuke@yahoo.com>
To: <wicoordination@lists.votenader.org>; <pw-list@igc.apc.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2000 9:34 AM
Subject: [WIS-CO]Green Scare in IL AFL-CIO - Solidarity Requested


> Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2000 16:00:33 EST 
> 
> << 
> UNION POLITICAL DIRECTOR FACES CHARGES FOR PERSONALLY
> SUPPORTING NADER--HE 
> ASKS FOR EMAILS OF SUPPORT ...... 
> 
> My name is David Johnson. I am a rank and file member
> of  Carpenter's Union 
> 44, in Champaign IL, and for the past three years the 
> Vice-President/Political Director of the AFL-CIO of
> Champaign County. In 
> November, 2000, charges were filed against me by a
> Plumber Business Agent 
> of Plumber's union 149 in Savoy IL (Stephen Brewer)
> for supposedly 
> violating my oath of office as Political Director.
> That is, because I 
> publicly expressed support for Ralph Nader in the 2000
> election, even 
> though I made a disclaimer that these were my own 
> personal views, and did 
> not reflect the official views of the local, state, or
> national AFL-CIO . 
> 
> The first charge is based on the fact that on October
> 9th, 2000, I attended 
> the official opening of the Green party office in
> Champaign, and was 
> interviewed by a reporter (Phil Bloomer) from the
> Champaign-Urbana News 
> Gazette. At the very begining of the interview I
> stated that the views I 
> would express were my own personal views and not those
> of the AFL-CIO. 
> There were two witnesses present who can testify to
> this fact: Peter 
> Miller, an organizer for the IEA Teacher's Union and
> host of the community 
> radio  program,"The Central Illinois Labor Hour"
> (217-367-1336), and  Mike 
> Lehmann, the chairman of the "Champaign County Living
> Wage Association" 
> (rebelmike@earthlink.net). 
> 
> On October 16th, 2000, the Bloomer interview appeared
> in the News Gazette. 
> My disclaimer statement was not printed, and the
> article, after identifying 
> me and my position, accurately quoted me as saying:
> "Nader has come out in 
> favor of Labor's entire platform, including expanded
> powers for the 
> National Labor Relations Board, a ban on the permanent
> replacement of 
> strikers, and repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act." "The
> Democratic Party has 
> abandoned us on those issues" "It's really a pretty
> easy decision for me." 
> I contacted Bloomer after the article was published
> and asked him why he 
> did not print the disclaimer and he stated that, "I
> thought I made it 
> apparent in the article when I quoted you as saying,
> 'its really a pretty 
> easy decision for me'." Bloomer ended by saying to me
> that, "everyone has a 
> right to a personal opinion, stick to your guns." 
> 
> On November 5th, I was invited as a guest speaker to a
> benefit event for 
> the Green Party and the Independent Media Center, held
> at the "High Dive" 
> night club in Champaign. One of the local Television
> station's ( CBS 
> affiliate, WCIA) covered the event and broadcasted the
> next morning a film 
> footage segment of me on stage stating my support for
> Nader. I have a video 
> copy of my entire speech (compliments of the
> Independent Media Center. 
> Contact Person: Sara Kanouse <skanouse@usa.net>) in
> which I state at the 
> very begining: "The opinions I am about to express are
> my personal views, 
> and not the views of the AFL-CIO." 
> 
> At the following Champaign county AFL-CIO meeting on
> November 15th, the 
> President (Duane Lybarger SEIU Local 73) read the
> letter sent by Stephen 
> Brewer. In the letter Brewer quoted some of my
> ststements supporting Nader 
> as reported in the media and officially asked that
> charges be brought 
> against me for: "violation of my oath of office".
> After the letter was read 
> at the executive board meeting, I made a statement in
> regard to the letter 
> stating that I had in both incidences made a
> disclaimer that these were my 
> own personal views and that I had a First Ammendment
> Right to personal 
> views. I also stated that there was no basis to the
> charges that I had 
> violated my oath of office, since I did not
> misrepresent my views as those 
> of the AFL-CIO. Prersident Lybarger stated that,
> nevertheless, according to 
> the constitution and bylaws, a trial has to be held
> whenever charges are 
> filed. 
> 
> The trial will be held on January 17th 2001, at the
> Carpenter's hall (402 
> S. Duncan Rd. Champaign I ) at 5 PM. Mike Griffin,
> former Staley strike 
> leader and editor of the "War Zone" news service from
> Decatur IL, 
> (217-428-6372; MGriffWZEF@aol.com) will represent me
> at the hearing. My 
> attorney will also be present as a witness to the 
> proceedings. 
> 
> For the last eight years with the Clinton/Gore
> administration we have 
> witnessed their promotion of NAFTA, Fast Track, The
> WTO, China Trade Bill, 
> the cutting of funds to OSHA and the NLRB, and even,
> according to George 
> Stephanopolous in his book "All Too Human", wanting to
> eliminate the 
> Davis-Bacon Act. Many Labor leaders think that issues
> of NAFTA, WTO, etc., 
> will not affect them, but many people in the Labor
> movement know that the 
> trade policies and other policies that Clinton and
> especially Gore have 
> promoted and fought extremely hard for their becoming
> law, are the begining 
> of the end for Organized Labor in the United States
> and the entire world.  
> 
> I am not alone in being persecuted for my personal
> beliefs. Many other 
> dedicated Trade Unionists throughout the United States
> who refused to 
> support Al Gore for President are experiencing similar
> attacks on their 
> First Ammendment right to free speech. What is
> becoming of the Labor 
> Movement in this country? Are there those in Labor who
> are going to attack 
> their fellow union brothers and sisters for daring to
> sound the alarm 
> against the policy of supporting politicians who are
> telling us what we 
> want to hear, and then once in office, persue policies
> that are slowly but 
> systematically destroying us? Should Organized Labor
> continue to allow 
> itself to be the dog that is being wagged by the
> Democratic Party? A party 
> that is no longer the party of the working  person,
> but instead a party 
> controlled by corporate campaign money. 
> 
> If you are concerned about stopping this trend leading
> us to a return of 
> political witch hunts like that which occured during
> the McCarthy era of 
> the 1950's, please send e-mail messages of support for
> my right (and 
> everyones right) to free speech. 
> 
> Send e-mail to: 
> President Duane Lybarger (AFL-CIO of Champaign County)
> at: 
> 
> unionyes@soltec.net 
> 
> This is my personal e-mail address. This way I can be
> certain that they are 
> received. 
> 
> In solidarity, 
> David Johnson 
> 
> 
> =====
> * * *  Ben Manski * * *
> 
> Center for Campus Organizing   http://www.cco.org/
> Green Party   http://www.greens.org/
> Industrial Workers of the World   http://www.iww.org/
> 180/Movement for Democracy and Education
>    http://corporations.org/democracy