http://www.sjguild.org/gnew93.
San Jose Guild News
November-December 2002
Unions form peace, justice coalition
By Joan Bazar
A South Bay Labor for Peace and Justice (L4PJ) chapter has been formed to address working people’s concerns about Washington’s war plans.
The group sent a delegation of labor leaders, including Luther Jackson, to meet with U.S. Reps. Mike Honda and Zoe Lofgren before the Congressional vote on Iraq.
At present the focus is on providing information about the issues. This has included posting of events at local universities – teach-ins at Stanford and San Jose State and a forum moderated by Congressman Honda at Santa Clara University.
MN reporter Dan Stober, reporting on his interviews in Vienna with United Nations weapons inspectors, was one of six panelists at SCU.
The sjguild.org site will list these events, ranging from the forums to rallies to the Islamic Cultural Fair in Santa Clara on Oct. 20.
The Newspaper Guild-CWA has taken an active stance in protecting reporters and editors’ rights under pressure. Labor leaders are objecting to the anti-union provisions of the proposed Homeland Security Department and attempts to use “national security” to erode workers’ rights.
Among unions adopting anti-war resolutions are the California Federation of Teachers, San Francisco Labor Council and the California Labor Federation.
The North Bay L4PJ group helped SEIU Local 715 to sponsor a teach-in on Iraq and is organizing a labor fact-finding delegation to the Middle East in December.
Trip coordinator Michael Eisenscher says the aim is to encourage political discussion in the U.S. labor movement about U.S. policy regarding Israel and Palestine.
The delegation will interview Israeli and Palestinian labor leaders and political officials. Call 510-693-7314 or send e-mail to labor-for-peace-and-justice@
Contact Joan Bazar at 408-436-0761 or baz@igc.org.
