RESOLUTION FOURTEEN

US Labor Against the War
United States Out of Iraq Now

 

Whereas, US troops are now committed to an indeterminate occupation of war devastated Iraq; and

Whereas, despite its rhetoric about liberation, it is increasingly clear that the Bush administration is motivated more by global ambitions and corporate interests than the freedom of Iraqis. Consistent with its belligerent posture and preemptive war doctrine, threats of military action against other countries continue to emanate from the administration. President Bush’s announced decision to resume development of tactical nuclear weapons will escalate the arms race, making the U.S. and the whole world less, not more secure; and

Whereas, our nation is in the midst of its worse economic crisis in decades. Organized labor and working families are under a relentless assault from the Bush administration on every front. Government has become a willing ally of big business in attacking unions and the right to organize and bargain. More than 180,000 Federal workers have lost the right to union representation in the name of “national security.” While the social safety net is being shredded the administration is massively cutting taxes for the wealthy. It has undermined cherished democratic ideals and eroded Constitutional rights with measures like the Patriot Act and the Homeland Security Act. Schools are being shuttered and teachers are laid off by the thousands, veterans benefits are being slashed, millions are jobless, many millions more are without health care and adequate housing. The $300 billion being spent to topple Saddam Hussein and reconstruct Iraq could have been spent addressing these urgent needs; and

Whereas, this administration presents the most serious threat to the economic and social well being, civil liberties and civil rights, security of the nation and peace in the world of any in memory. The defeat of this right wing extremism in the 2008 election is of paramount urgency. However, in seeking their defeat we must assure the defeat of the policies they have promoted so that no matter who is elected, it will be politically impossible to pursue them. Organized labor can defeat these policies only by making the connection between the militarization of U.S. foreign policy and the militarization of our society, the curtailment of civil liberties and the encroachment on our Constitutional rights, and the bankrupting of government services at all levels. It is US Labor Against the War (USLAW) that has come forward as the umbrella organization that unites the various entities in the trade union movement around these principles; and

Whereas, let there be no mistake about it we support the legitimate use of security to protect our country and its people from terrorist attacks from domestic and international sources. But this war is being carried out under the Bush Administration’s new doctrine of preemption. They claim the right to attack, invade and occupy any country that is perceived as a threat; and

Whereas, it is the working class and our children that are the first to be sent to war and pay the ultimate price for these misguided political and corporate ambitions; therefore

Be it Resolved, that this Twentieth Quadrennial Convention of the Pennsylvania Federation Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division send our support and sympathy to the families and loved ones of the more than 3500 Americans who have been killed on this corporate alter of greed in Iraq and applaud the courage of our brave men and women in the armed forces. Further, while our troops are placed in harms way they should be provided with our full and unconditional support until they are removed from harms way; and

Be It Further Resolved, that this Twentieth Quadrennial Convention of the Pennsylvania Federation Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes International Brotherhood of Teamsters is proud of the fact we are founding members of US Labor Against the War and have actively endorsed and supported their program to bring our troops home from Iraq now and supported the tactics necessary to accomplish this goal; and

Be it Further Resolved, that this Convention continues to support US Labor Against the War and supports the immediate withdrawal of all of our troops from Iraq and to promote a U.S. foreign policy that promotes global economic and social justice, not the use of military force and to pursue government policies that meet human needs and not that cater to corporate greed; and

Be it Further Resolved, that we appreciate National Co-Convener of US Labor Against the War Gene Bruskin coming to our convention and speaking with us about USLAW and ending the war and occupation in Iraq and authorize that we send USLAW a one thousand dollar donation from the Federation General Fund to USLAW as continued support of these programs.

 

 

adopted August 8, 2007