World Labor Leaders: Reject Dictatorship of Markets

Inuit Throat Singers welcome delegates to the second congress of the International Trade Union Confederation

By Scott Marshall

Vancouver, Canada – World labor leaders gathered here in the second congress of the International Trade Union Confederation, are of one mind in rejecting the so-called “Washington consensus” that calls for deregulation of the banks and financial markets. In his opening address, Guy Ryder, the out-going general secretary of the ITUC, called for and end to the “dictatorship of the finance-atariate.” He said it is the people’s time to fight for “fundamental change in globalization.”

The delegates amplified Ryders message in their remarks and in one voice declared that decent work and jobs is the only real answer to the economic crisis. Overwhelmingly the delegates in their addresses to the congress called for financial transaction taxes to pay for jobs and the recovery.

Richard Trumka, speaking for the AFL-CIO from the US delegation, called for bold action for a “new economic order.” Citing the violent government attacks and repression against the Mexican miners union in Cananea, Trumka said the new order must include strong labor and human rights. He said that collective bargaining and the right to organize are cornerstones of real democracy in a new economic order.

A highlight of the convention so far was an address by a young hotel worker from Vancouver. She spoke about their struggle for a new contract with some of the biggest hotel chains in the world like Hyatt and Fours Seasons. She said that these hotels in Vancouver are recovering from the economic crisis and the rooms are full. And still she said they are cutting staff, increasing work loads and demanding concessions even as they make big profits.

Many delegates raised the issue of fighting for the unemployed and jobs even as global labor puts forward the demand for stock transaction taxes and re-regulation of the financial markets. Many also pointed out that a crisis of poverty, hunger and homelessness was rampant throughout the developing world long before the financial market melt down and the Great Recession.

Like many of the delegates, A. Santos of Brazil argued that the crisis shows the failure of the neo-liberal model with its deregulation, wild speculation and attacks on labor and human rights. He called for a new economic model that will put people back to work with decent jobs and income, that will provide a strong role for the state in regulating and controlling finance capital and tackle sustainable economic development to end poverty, hunger and homelessness.

J. Smit of the Netherlands echoed the call of many delegates for fundamental change in globalization. This system doesn’t work and the invisible hand is dead, he said, just as feudalism has failed so this system has to be discarded. He called for a new system that provides social security, labor rights, a strong public sector, strong services, and strong banking controls. We need a sustainable green system he said.

Several delegates joined with A. Jerad of Tunisia in calling for peace as central to a new economic model. In particular Jerad called for an end to the blockade of Gaza and for a an independent Palestinian state. Others called for ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This echoed Ryder’s address when he said, “our world is not just and not at peace.” He said wars “are a blight” on progress and that trade unionists must fight to end them.

Delegates also called for special attention to the impact of the crisis on women and young workers. Many spoke of the terrible conditions faced by women in the informal economy and in export zones around the world. And they called for special efforts to bring women into unions and into union leadership.

S. Andersson of Sweden spoke of the work of the ITUC’s youth committee. She told of how young workers are using social networks and new technology to bring young people into the labor movement. She outlined some of the special problems facing young workers including being forced into temporary work with no rights where they are often cheated out of wages. She said the ITUC must become a loud voice for young workers.

Also much attention was given to questions of green development and sustainability by the delegates. They heartily agreed with Ryder when he said, “The road to global justice must be a green road. Green development and protecting the environment cannot be put off to after the crisis.”

Throughout the discussion it was clear that a new fighting spirit is emerging in global labor. With all the calls for action from the congress came also a realization that labor must form bigger and stronger coalitions to take on finance capital globally. As one delegate put it, “if we are united, if we reach out to all of labor and all of the people, we can push back just as hard as the banks and the multinational corporations try to push us.”

Global Union Leaders Blast Financial Greed

By Scott Marshall


Vancouver, Canada - The second world congress of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) opened Monday in Vancouver. Guy Ryder(center), ITUC general secretary and Sharan Burrow, ITUC president, were joined by Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Congress in a pre-congress press conference.


Each gave a brief opening statement. Each blasted different aspects of the economic crisis and its impact on working people. And each blamed the crisis on the greed of the banks and financial institutions. Georgetti put it this way, “Our principal is that if you make a mess, whether drilling, mining or financial, then you have to clean it up.”


The labor leaders said that the current crisis shows the need for “fundamental” change. Ryder said the ITUC was about building international solidarity in the workplace from the bottom up to give workers a voice at the table of international financial institutions like the G-20, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization.


Georgetti noted that the “greedy” voices already have a permanent place at the table, but labor and workers have to fight to be heard at all. Ryder further noted that the glaring inequalities of the crisis provides an opportunity for basic change.


The ITUC leaders argued strongly against the austerity programs being put forward by world governments. They noted that it is global stimulus efforts that have saved 20 million jobs world wide. Ryder said that the ITUC will continue to fight austerity drives full force. He said that some leaders of affiliated national labor federations will be absent from the congress because they are leading mass mobilizations in their countries. He gave as an example that several key French labor leaders would not be able to come because they are organizing mass actions against the Sarkozy government’s pension “reforms” that will hurt workers by raising retirement ages and taxes on workers.


Burrow said there can be no economic recovery without “jobs, jobs, jobs.” The ITUC is working with affiliates to build for massive coordinated workers protests against the crisis on September 29th around the world. The Spanish affiliates are already calling for a general strike for the day.


More coverage of the ITUC congress to follow.

Workers of the World Uniting for Justice

By Scott Marshall

The second world congress of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is a significant event. Taking place in Vancouver, Canada, June 21 through 25th, the congress theme is “The People Now: From the Crisis to Global Justice.”

(You can help us with our coverage – see below *)

The congress comes on the heels of the ITUC’s Annual Survey of violations of trade union rights. In it, the ITUC makes a strong case that the global economic crisis means “public authorities and companies have continued to use the crisis as a pretext to weaken and undermine trade union rights.”

The survey notes the horrible fact that at least a 101 trade unionists and labor activists were murdered in 2009. This is a 30% increase over the 76 killed in 2008. These shocking numbers graphically show the rising tide of violence and assault on trade union rights. Further, the survey documents global union busting, including the giant transnational corporation’s playing of workers in developed countries against workers in developing countries.
The congress agenda includes several plenary panel discussions dealing with the global economic crisis and with the fightback and global solidarity needed by labor to defend unions, workers and labor rights.

The ITUC congress will highlight its international solidarity efforts. For example, the global federation has mounted efforts in support of the Mexican miners union under attack at the Cananea mine in Sonora and the Pasta de Conchos mine in Coahuila. The ITUC has called for solidarity against the use of federal troops and police force to remove the striking miners an action that wounded and killed several miners. Now the troops are being used to protect scabs hired by Grupo Mexico, a giant mining transnational and the largest mine owner in Mexico.

The ITUC was founded in 2006 through a merger of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labor. The ICFTU came out of a cold war split from the World Federation of Trade Unions in 1949. Today, while the WFTU and the ITUC have no formal ties, increasingly they are pursuing similar programs of struggle and several national labor federations are affiliated with both.

*I will be covering this important international labor congress for the People Before Profits Education Fund Speakers Bureau and will be available for interviews and speaking engagements. You can help make our participation possible by sending a contribution to the People Before Profits Education Fund at 235 W. 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011. All contributions are tax deductible.

And you can read daily updates on the congress here on the People’s World website here.

BP Gulf Gusher and Coleridge

"Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink."

In 2000 British Petroleum set out on a campaign to promote the new bp "as the choice for the environmentally-aware motorist.

The lower-case letters were chosen because focus groups said bp is friendlier than the old imperialistic BP, which reminded folks of the old "Rule Britannia! Britannia rules the waves."

Buckets of paint appeared everywhere and bp daubed all its property in green paint and advertised its annual report under the slogan 'Now We're Greener Than Ever.'" The new tag line became "bp - Beyond petroleum. Make the day a little better."

Now, in the spring of 2010, it looks like it may be time for a re-branding of the corporate image. One suited to today's realities.

It could be built around the refrain at the beginning of this post taken from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner."

Republican Website Update

It looks like the Republicans have struck gold in their effort to get their base to send ideas for a future Republican agenda to their new website, America Speaking Out. The ideas are pouring in.

"End Child Labor Laws, we coddle children too much. They need to spend their youth in the factories."

"How about if Congress actually do thier job and VET or Usurper in Chief, Obama is NOT a Natural Born Citizen in any way. That fake so called birth certificate is useless."

"Build a castle-style wall along the border, there is plenty of stone laying around about there."

"Legalize Marijuana, cause, like, alcohol is legal. Man. Also."

"I say, repeal all the amendments to the Constitution."

"Don't let the illegals run out of Arizona and hide. . . . I think that we should do something to identify them in case they try to come back over. Like maybe tattoo a big scarlet 'I' on their chests -- for 'illegal'!!!"

"Let kids vote!"

"Let's make a 'Social Security Lotto,' "

"What dope came up with the idea of criminalizing a parent's right to administer corporal punishment?"


"...build the city of the future somewhere in a non-inhabit part of the United States, preferably the desert."

"I oppose the Hispanicization of America, these are not patriotic people."

"English is are official langauge. Anybody who ain't speak it the RIGHT way should kicked out."

Leader John Boehner (Ohio) proclaimed. "We want to continue to offer better solutions to address the problems that America is facing, and we see this as a giant step forward, directly engaging the American people in the development of those solutions."

Sleep easy, America, we are in good hands!

Republicans Uncover More False Science In Schools

House Republicans have launched a website called America Speaking Out. They are inviting public input with the idea to build grassroots support and get some ideas about crafting a new agenda for the coming elections in November.

One of the first posts was a complaint from a parent about the continuing problem of false science being taught in our schools: a problem near and dear to the Republican mind.

"A 'teacher' told my child in class that dolphins were mammals and not fish!" the parent complained. "And the same thing about whales! We need TRADITIONAL VALUES in all areas of education. If it swims in the water, it is a FISH. Period! End of Story."

Rumor has it House Minority Leader John Boehner(Ohio) and House Whip Eric Cantor(Va) are planning to ask this parent to accept an appointment to a grassroots committee to oversee the efforts of the new website.

This is just the kind of "red-meat" stuff the Republicans thrive on. Can't wait to see Boehner and Cantor exposing this latest liberal corruption at the next Republican "save the nation" press conference.

Rand Paul

Is Rand Paul, a: prejudiced, b: a chauvinist, c: a racist?


First we should define these three words in context with the discussion.

Chauvinism - unreasoning devotion to ones race, sex, etc. with contempt for other races, sex, etc.

Prejudices - suspicion, intolerance, or irrational hatred of other races, sex, creeds, regions, occupations, etc.

Racism - any programs or practices of discrimination and segregation that uphold the political or economic domination of one race over another or others.

(definitions from Webster’s New world College Dictionary)

Now lets consider the question(s) at hand considering recent comments of Rand Paul.

a. Is Rand Paul a chauvinist?
He says he is not. Absent any defining “macaque” moment, the question, in and of itself, will stand answered by his denial: for now.

b. Is Rand Paul prejudiced?
He says he is not. Ditto the “macaque” statement above.

c. Is Rand Paul a racist?
Yes. He is. His statements concerning his opposition to Federal laws that protect African-Americans against "programs or practices that uphold political or economic domination of one race over another or others" brands him.

Racist Jim Crow laws and culture - "program or practice" - existed throughout the country before the passage of the Civil Rights Law. The consequences their existence amounted to the uninterrupted "economic or political" domination of African-Americans going back to the earliest days of our nation.

Racist "programs or practices", first and foremost, are sources of power and profit - "political or economic" - and those who support them have been the most ardent and consistent opponents of Federal laws that put those sources out of reach. Here is where we may revisit questions a and b above and challenge Rand Paul’s denial of chauvinism and prejudice. How else can his opposition to laws that provide relief and protection from “political or economic” super-exploitation for millions of African-American citizens be viewed?

One of the great setbacks of the discourse over equality and justice that has taken place since the passage of the Civil Rights Law is the success those who benefit from racist "programs or practices" have had in redefining racism as a prejudice and/or chauvinism. A subjective state of mind rather than one of design represented by "program or practice."

These days we hear talk of black racism, even among some who should know better, as if the African-American community as a whole is or has ever been in any position to institute any "program or practice" that would lead to any level of "political or economic domination" of the white population. It is akin to saying a round square is a geometric figure. It is a lie created to hide the truth, the facts and the consequences of racism. Consequences that do harm to all except those seekers of ever more power and profit. Those who, like Rand Paul, lurk under the mantle of respectability while planning the return of “programs or practices of discrimination and segregation that uphold the political or economic domination of one race over another or others.”

Rand Paul is a racist. We as a nation trying to move forward risk much if we shy from the challenge his ilk presents. And although the danger of what he represents is great, he can be dealt with easily. Simply toss him onto history’s trash heap with other aberrant individuals, as we pass it in November, and don’t look back!