Friday, November 07, 2008

MUA congratulates US labour on Obama victory

By MUA news -

MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin congratulates International Longshore and Warehouse Union and US labour movement for the role unions played in the US Democrat election victory - a victory for all workers

The following is his letter to Bob McEllrath, ILWU, with letters also going out to the ILA and SIU

Dear Bob and all our ILWU brothers and sisters,

Congratulations on behalf of MUA members and staff, dockworkers and maritime workers of the world on the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the USA. It is something we know the ILWU and the US labour movement played a major part in. You've done Harry Bridges proud. Your campaign embodies the values of the union and its leaders - industrial rights cannot be separated from political leadership.

We were with you on November 4, along with working men and women around the world, because we know this election will benefit workers and their families worldwide, not just in the US.

In fact if the world could have voted Obama would have won by a landslide (According to a global poll by Reader's Digest magazine widely published here 16 out of 17 nations surveyed gave him their vote - 76 per cent of Australians!)

We heard the president elect acknowledge that the Democratic campaign was "built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give" and we know the ILWU dug even deeper. Bob you were among the first to endorse Barack Obama as the Democrat candidate on behalf of the ILWU months before other unions and long before the vote was counted.

We also know that before you were photographed alongside Obama shaking hands, you got his written commitment to workers' rights, a commitment to include labour and environment standards around the world in trade agreements, to support Blue Diamond workers, the Employee Free Choice Act, the rights for workers to organise and collectively bargain, the right to union representation on the National Labor Relations Board, a commitment to give workers a voice in the workplace and to educate the American public about the importance of unions and our essential role in the political process, in democracy and in the economy. We know you also have Obama's written commitment to universal health care, to curb the cowboys who run the stock market, an end to the war in Iraq and to replace warmongering with diplomacy.

Bob, congratulations again on your vision; for getting together with the leadership and membership of the ILWU behind this man and behind this historic change.

Congratulations go also to the ILWU members in the swing states of Oregon, Colorado, Alaska, Nevada and New Mexico - longshore workers like George Romera and his wife Diane, De Andrew Hollywood Whitten and Sal Pardo who went door to door talking to people about their vote.

Special congratulations, too, for Willie Adams, who as an African American leader and serving ILWU official would take special pride in seeing the first black president and world leader take the stage and continue the Martin Luther King dream of a civil rights/labour coalition that gives black workers dignity and pride. Over the years his initiative with Celebrations of Black History and Labour have gained both national and international recognition. I was fortunate on two occasions to participate. It continues to be one of the finest experiences of my trade union life.

To Ray Familathe - this is one birthday you'll never forget, brother. We appreciate your ongoing work by our side on the international stage and recognise the pride and emotion you shared on the special day of the election.

Our responsibility now, as labour leaders both in the ITF and our two unions is to ensure Obama's inspiring words translate into actions; that this new world leader you have given us moves even further along the progressive path of world peace, human rights and decent work.

Yours in Unity

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