108th ILC – PLENARY SESSION: Speech of George Mavrikos, WFTU General Secretary

The hope lies in our struggles

Dear friends, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen

   100 years since the founding of the ILO have been completed this year, and this is an opportunity to make an objective evaluation from the perspective of the World Working Class. To draw the true conclusions from the side of the militant  trade union movement. To assess the results.

   We believe that the ILO history is divided into two main periods. From its foundation until 1990 and from 1990 until today. In the first period, it played a positive role in general and often worked as a mechanism of protection of workers’ rights. The international correlations benefited and supported the role of the ILO, with the decisive role of the Soviet Union, of the People’s Republic of China, of many other socialist countries and of the non-aligned countries’ movement. Those favorable correlations had an important ally by their side. The militant trade union movement, with the leading role at that time of the World Federation of Trade Unions. They had by their side the great class struggles of all workers.

   The successes in establishing remarkable achievements such as: Collective Bargaining Agreements, social security, social expenditure, improved salaries and working conditions of the working women, working time, wage increase, progress of democratic and trade union freedoms, was the result of these circumstances. Trade unions were established in every corner of the planet.

   No matter how much ink is being spilled by modern slanderers, the truth will always shine.

    Following the 1989-1991 overthrows and the changes that took place, the situation and role of the ILO, as well as of all International Organizations, also changed.

    These days here, in the annual Conference, Ministers, Prime Ministers, arrived, they used big words, empty promises, and tried to present a picture of virtual reality.

       Before 1990, employers did not want to hear about the ILO. Now they consider it their ally and friend. Why? Everyone should think and give the answer on his own.

   But whatever words some people say, the truth is at the workplaces, where workers suffer from state violence and authoritarianism, from unemployment and lay-offs, from black labor, from privatizations, from poverty and capitalist barbarity. The truth lies in the Mediterranean Sea, where mothers and children are being drowned in their effort to escape imperialist aggression.

   This picture is also a result of the role played by the ILO and of the current situation within the leaderships of the trade union movement.

   Since 1960 the blockade against Cuba continues. What did the International Organizations do?

    In Soma, Turkey, on 13 May 2014, 301 workers were killed. What did the International Organizations do?

    In the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh on 24 April, 2013, 1.132 girls and women were murdered. What did the ILO do?

   In Colombia, over the last three years, 600 trade union militants have been murdered. Who was punished for these crimes?

   In Chile the government  undermines with anti-democratic methods the independent functioning of the CAT. What did the responsible Office of the ILO do?

    What have the International Organizations done to protect the workers of Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Yemen from the imperialists? Only words. This is the picture.

   Today, Heads of States come here and tell us that black is white. Mr Macron, who attacks and beats the protesters, who fires 1.000 workers from Centrale à charbon de Gardanne, whose Member of Parliament, from his party, Mr. Mohamed Laqhila, threatens to close the functioning of the Trade Union Centre of UD CGT 13, came here a few days ago and presented us a false reality. Both Mr Macron and Mrs Merkel see the ILO today as an ideological mechanism in favor of their policies. This is the truth. This is the real picture. At the same time, they strengthen the phenomena of neo-fascism and xenophobia with their anti-workers policies.

  This picture only by today’s workers can and must be changed, with their united, class-oriented struggles. By strengthening the unions at the base. By enhancing trade union democracy. The hope lies in our struggles.

OUR UNION NEEDS US AT THE LA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING ON JUNE 25

URGENT UNION ACTION

Proper management of our retirement fund is at risk. SEIU Local 721 represents over 55,000 current LA County employees, and tens of thousands of retirees  who participate in the LACERA plan.  It’s important that our voice is respected in this process – but,  right now, our voice is at risk of not being heard at all. Why? Recent changes on the governing body have drastically reduced the voices of LA County workers  and retirees. So this means that even though we – the LA County workforce – are contributing the tens of billions of  dollars that make LACERA the largest public retirement fund in America, we no longer have a real say in  how that retirement fund operates. This is unacceptable. We must secure our retirement. We cannot – and will not – be excluded from managing our own retirement plan. Our elected LACERA trustees must not be excluded from managing our retirement plan. We are stakeholders. This is our retirement plan. We deserve representation on our own retirement board! Join us at the LA County Board of Supervisors meeting this Tuesday,  June 25 starting at 9:30 AM. RSVP by clicking here to confirm your attendance. It's time for our Union to send a message to the LA County Board of Supervisors:  "We must secure our retirement!" Our elected LACERA trustees must manage our  retirement funds in a transparent manner that serves the needs of all LA County employees,  retirees and our families. Your retirement represents a lifetime of hard work. Fight to protect it! In Solidarity All of Us at SEIU 721 CONTACT US SEIU Local 721 1545 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90017 (800) 721-4YOU

VA UNDER ATTACK IN FLORIDA

Here's what you need to know this week:
Employees of the VA Healthcare System, 1 of 3  which are veterans themselves, are fighting against a contract that threatens to significantly strip away their collective bargaining rights. In workplaces that are already understaffed due a lack of action by the agency to fill thousands of vacancies nationwide, these union rights are critical not only to the employees, but also to the quality of care that veterans receive.

According to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union that represents these employees, this contract could limit grievance filing, ban certain issues in collective bargaining, scrap harassment and retaliation protections, and strip away union time from over a million hours every year to a staggeringly low 10,000. Lawmakers are expressing their concerns, as well. In a bipartisan letter to Robert Wilkie, the VA Secretary, 128 members of congress expressed concerns that this anti-union contract's rippling effects through the agency would cause veterans relying on the VA to suffer.

Around the United States, VA Employees are rallying to against this contract. In Tampa, our sisters and brothers from AFGE Local 547, employees of the James A. Haley VA Hospital, will rally outside the hospital on Saturday, June 29th from 11AM - 1PM. The local will be providing lunch. We hope that you can make it to stand in solidarity with them against this horrible contract.

Here's what's coming up:

- On the fourth Wednesday of every month, the Florida AFL-CIO hosts a statewide call at 6PM for union activists from around Florida to join and share news and events from their area. Everyone is invited to join the call on Wednesday, 6/26. The dial-in information is as follows:

Number: 877-336-1274
Access Code: 964-7066

Keep in Mind:
Elections are only the beginning. After candidates win, they begin the full-time job of representing us. Most of the action happens during legislative session, but the time between can always be spent organizing around issues and holding our elected officials accountable. To help us do this, we can look to their performance during legislative session. To make the process of sorting through legislation easier, check out the recently released People First Report Card, courtesy of Progress Florida, and the Florida AFL-CIO's own Legislative Session Debrief.

That's all for this week! Check out our website at wcflc.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates. If you would like to receive text message alerts from the Florida AFL-CIO (Msg & data rates may apply), text FLUNION to 235246!

In Solidarity,

West Central Florida Labor Council

NO OIL DRILLING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SAY L.A. RESIDENTS

Take Action Now to Support STAND-LA And End Neighborhood Drilling

Over 200,000 Angelenos are at risk every day living within 2,500 feet of an active oil well. We’ve waited two years for the City of LA just to release a report on the possibility of a common-sense human health and safety buffer ordinance that would phase out toxic oil drilling and protect the health of our communities and climate.

After experiencing an unacceptable two-year delay from the City of LA in our efforts to end dangerous oil drilling in neighborhoods, we've just launched a multi-pronged escalation starting to raise the pressure on City Council President Herb Wesson, Mayor Garcetti and the entire City Council. We really need your support in amplifying the voices of impacted residents and getting the City to take action.

As civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer famously said:

“We are sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

PHYSICIANS for SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA is mobilizing a delegation of medical and health professionals to City Hall on Wednesday June 12th from 2 - 4pm. We plan to meet with members of the Health, Education, Neighborhoods, Parks, Arts, and River Committee to express our concerns about the two-year delay from the City of Los Angeles.

What: STAND-LA Health Professionals Visit City Hall

When: Wednesday June 12th, 2 - 4pm

Where: Los Angeles City Hall, 200 N. Spring St

Chicago Symphony strike settled

CLASS UNITY IS THE KEY TO VICTORY! CONGRATULATIONS TO CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MEMBERS ON THEIR NEW CONTRACT. SOLIDARITY FOREVER!

The Darigold campaign continues at Mensonides Dairy

Thank you for your support for the Darigold Dozen. We are happy to report that the dairy workers known as the "Darigold Dozen" have finally been compensated for the unpaid wages they claimed in their lawsuit. However, as we told you on May 8, thousands of workers employed at other Darigold member farms are still facing labor abuses at work. Take action to help them.

 
On Wednesday, dozens of dairy workers took action in Yakima, WA. Workers demonstrated outside a farm credit service, Northwest Farm Credit Service (NWFCS) that has provided loans to a dairy where workers allege rest breaks were not provided andwages were not paid as required by law.
 
Just days after a class action lawsuit was filed by workers against Mensonides Dairy, a Darigold member farm in the Yakima Valley, the dairy declared bankruptcy. Now, the creditor first in line to be paid is the bank, NWFCS. Meanwhile, close to 40 workers, alleging missed breaks and unpaid wages, have signed on to file claims with the bankruptcy court. These dairy workers could wait as long as 15 years for their claims to be paid, if they recover anything at all. 

Genaro Moreno who works at Mensonides Dairy shares, “If we had stolen from them, they probably would have had us thrown in jail. That's why we've come together to demand justice.”
 
We're sure you agree with Genaro and his co-workers -- like we do -- that a bank shouldn't be first in line before hardworking men and women trying to feed their families. Don't you agree that an institution profiting from loans should take an interest to ensure the dairies they fund don't engage in wage theft or other labor abuses? 

Click to send your e-mail to add your support to the dairy workers at Mensonides Dairy.Tell the branch manager of NWFCS Yakima that he has a moral responsibility to help these workers get the wages they rightfully earned.