[R-G] Resolutions on Nat'l March for Jobs & on Honduras Passed 11/16/09 at South Bay Labor Council (San Jose, Calif.)

[Sid Shniad]

*From: *Fred Hirsch <fredhirsch at cruzio.com>
*Date: *Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:22:48 -0800

*Subject: *TWO DYNAMITE RESOLUTIONS PASSED LAST MONDAY 11/16/09 AT THE SOUTH
BAY LABOR COUNCIL

The following resolution, presented by Plumbers and Fitters Local 393, was
passed by unanimous vote at the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council in San Jose,
California on Monday 11/16/09.

 *National March on Washington for Jobs, Peace, Affordable Healthcare For
All
and Ending Foreclosures and Evictions*


Whereas, despite the so-called economic recovery, the economic crisis for
working people has continued unabated with growing unemployment and rising
home foreclosures and evictions, and

Whereas this economic crisis has resulted in the underfunding and degrading
of public education and social services, and

Whereas the government has bestowed billions of dollars of bailout money on
the financial institutions whose recklessness and greed created this
economic crisis, and

Whereas there is growing opposition to the wars and occupations in
Afghanistan and Iraq by a majority of the people here in the United States,
not to mention the great and ever-growing opposition by the citizens in
Afghanistan and Iraq, and

Whereas these wars are costing billions of dollars each month, therefore be
it

*Resolved that the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council calls on the AFL-CIO and
the Change to Win coalition to organize a Solidarity Day III march on
Washington D.C. in the spring of 2010 to demand jobs, housing, healthcare,
full funding for public education and social services, and peace, and be it

Further Resolved that we send this resolution for concurrence and action to
the Santa Clara County Building and Construction Trades Council, the
California State Building and Construction Trades Council, and the
California Federation of Labor.
*
---------------------------------------------------------

 Presented by Delegates of Plumbers and Fitters Local 393, the South Bay
AFL-CIO Labor Council passed the following resolution, by unanimous vote, at
its meeting Monday, 11/16/09.

*EMERGENCY RESOLUTION ON THE CURRENT CRISIS IN HONDURAS
*
Whereas, following the June 28, 2009 military coup in Honduras, the AFL-CIO
National Convention passed a resolution in September demanding immediate
reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya, restoration of all labor and
democratic rights, and an immediate halt to all U.S. aid to the coup
government; and

Whereas, a U.S.-brokered deal [the Tegucigalpa/San Jose Accords] to
reinstate President Zelaya by November 5th -- in preparation for the Nov.
29th elections -- has unraveled, and the coup regime refused to restore
Zelaya to the Presidency. As a result, President Zelaya, denouncing the "bad
faith" of the U.S. government, said the Tegucigalpa/San Jose Accords were "a
dead letter," and

Whereas, President Zelaya is still taking refuge in the Brazilian Embassy
and the Honduran people led by the National Resistance Front Against the
Coup (including many trade union leaders in the leadership) continue to
mount massive daily demonstrations agains t the coup regime; which responds
with mass tear-gassing and beating of protesters by U.S.-trained army and
police in an attempt to suppress the popular will and prevent the exercise
of democratic rights; and

Whereas, there is a total lack of political space for opposition candidates
to campaign and for the expression of any dissident political opinion, and
under the current coup regime, conditions for free, fair and open elections
are non-existent; and

Whereas, the National Resistance Front has denounced the Nov. 29th elections
as a scheme by "the de facto regime that is repressing the people and
violating the civil and human rights of its citizens, with the goal of
validating the dictatorship of the oligarchy," and that participating in
such an electoral exercise "would give legitimacy to the coup regime or its
successor." The Front also stressed that "our stance in opposition to the
electoral farce will remain firm even if President Zelaya is reinstated
between now and Nov. 29th, since 20 days or less is too short a time to
dismantle an electoral fraud many months in the making," and there is no
time for opposition candidates to mount a campaign;

*Therefore be it resolved, that South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council (SBLC) stand
in solidarity with the heroic people of Honduras as they resist the savage
repression of a military dictatorship, and fight to win real democracy and
sovereignty for their country; and

Be it further resolved, that the SBLC send official letters to Congressional
representatives, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and President Obama
demanding that the U.S. government take strong measures against the
repressive coup government in Honduras -- and whatever government may
succeed it as a result of the "electoral farce" scheduled for Nov. 29th.
These measures should include: 1) Immediately break off all political and
economic ties with the coup government and its successor; 2) Recall the U.S.
ambassador; 3) Establish an economic embargo on all trade and all but
humanitar ian aid to Honduras; 4) Freeze the U.S. bank accounts of the coup
plotters and deny them visas for U.S. travel; 5) Shut down U.S. military
bases in Honduras; and

Be it further resolved, that the SBLC demand that the U.S. government
denounce and refuse to recognize the results of the Nov. 29th elections or
any electoral process organized under the repressive coup regime; and

Be it further resolved that the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council send this
resolution to our affiliates asking their concurrence and similar action;
and

Finally be it resolved that the SBLC make common cause with other labor and
community organizations to develop a solidarity network for the National
Resistance Front against the Coup, and for the labor unions, that are at the
center of the Resistance movement in Honduras.*