Chicago Conference Calls For Fightback Against Economic Crisis

Chicago Fightback Conference panel on the struggle against foreclosures and evictions held on October 3, 2009. From left to right: Linden Gawboy, Rosemary Williams, Mick Kelly, Sandra Hines and David Hungerford. (Photo: Abayomi Azikiwe)
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos

Chicago Conference Calls for Fightback Against Economic Crisis

Labor, students and community activists speak on need to escalate struggle

by Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire
Chicago

Chicago Fightback Conference photograph
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53911892@N00/3986457475/

A conference on the deepening economic crisis in the United States took place in Chicago on October 3. The gathering attended by over 200 people was held at the Teamster City building located on South Ashland Avenue on the west side.

Under the theme "They Say Cut Back, We Say Fight Back!," the event was endorsed by more than 50 individuals and organizations including Armando Robles, President of the UE Local 1110, Richard Berg, President of Teamsters Local 743, Bryan G. Pfeifer, Staff Organizer for the Union of Part Time Faculty, AFT at Wayne State University in Detroit, Gregg Shotwell, rank and file member of UAW Local 2151 in Coopersville, Michigan and the founder of Soldiers of Solidarity, Caucus of Rank and File Educators in Chicago, Christian Hainds, President OPEIU Midwest United Local 2009, Rosemary Williams, anti-foreclosure activist from Minneapolis, Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout, Minnesota Welfare Rights Committee, the Bailout the People Movement, the Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures, Evictions and Utility Shutoffs from Michigan as well as others.

The conference call circulated broadly prior to the gathering states that "We are now in the midst of the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Millions of homes are in foreclosure. Unemployment is growing. Massive cuts are taking place to the programs that benefit poor and working people, while the government tries to balance budgets on our backs. Inequality is growing, oppressed people--African-Americans, Chicanos, and Latinos are the last hired and the first to lose their jobs."

This event consisted of three plenary sessions and seven workshops. The topics of the plenaries and workshops included "Building our Fight", "The battle for healthcare for all", "The fight for the right to an education","Public sector unions and state budget cuts", "plant closings, layoffs and the economic crisis", "Economic crisis and the immigrants rights movement", "Fighting foreclosures and evictions", etc.

Struggle Develops Against Crisis

Speakers at the conference represented numerous ongoing struggles against the economic crisis, national oppression, the persecution of immigrants and the attacks against organized labor.

Armando Robles, President of UE Local 1110, discussed the history of the successful fight to win a severance package from Republic Windows and Doors during December 2008. The plant occupation and its widespread support, drew international attention to the impact of the economic crisis on workers in the manufacturing sector in the United States.

According to Robles "Workers took notes on efforts to close the plant by the bosses. Over 200 workers confronted management with demands related to their legal right to a severance package. Initially 50 workers occupied the plant and were willing to be arrested. The others picketed outside."

In the workshop on plant closings and layoffs, J. Burger of Teamsters Local 743 discussed the actions of the union in fighting against management plans to eliminate 450 jobs at the University of Chicago Hospital. Burger said that the University of Chicago's endowment fund lost $1.4 billion through the market meltdown of the recent period.

Representing workers in the clerical, radiology and food service departments, the union built alliances with other labor organizations and held workplace campaigns against the cuts. The campaign resulted in severance packages for the workers. Most of the workers have been able to get their jobs back over the last several months.

In the afternoon plenary session Rosemary Williams of Minneapolis discussed the months-long struggle against her eviction from a family home of over forty years. Eventually a 35-day siege was carried out by the police and the courts against her home. Eventually by force, the police stormed her residence, evicting the occupants and later sealing the premises.

Stan Willis of the National Conference of Black Lawyers in Chicago, discussed his role as a labor activist while working as a bus driver during a 1968 widcat strike. "The alliance between labor and the community is essential for winning strikes," Willis said.

Larry Holmes of the Bailout the People Movement talked about the significance of the recently-held tent city and National March for Jobs in Pittsburgh that played an important role in the protests surrounding the G20 Summit. "Our efforts were based in the African- American community which has been hit hard by the economic crisis," Holmes said.

"The African-American community and the immigrant rights struggle must be up front in these efforts because they are the most oppressed within the U.S."

From Los Angeles, Manuel Criollo of the LA Strategy Center discussed the disproportionate representation of African-Americans and Latinos within the prison industrial complex. He also addressed the contradictions that are arising out of the Obama presidency. "We have continuing militarism on the one hand along with his statements saying that the U.S. can no longer act as if its is the main economic force determining the world situation."

A student organizer, Gurujiwan Khalsa, from the University of California system, reported on the recent protests against budget cuts in the state's higher educational institutions. Khalsa said that thousands of students demonstrated recently in response to the impact of the state's measures to address the huge deficit in the state of California.

In the workshop on fighting foreclosures and evictions facilitator Mick Kelly introduced panelists Sandra Hines of the Moratorium NOW! Coalition of Detroit, David Hungerford of the People's Organization for Progress, Linden Gawboy of the Welfare Rights Committee of Minnesota and Rosemary Williams of Minneapolis.

Sandra Hines of Moratorium NOW! drew on the lessons of the struggles that developed during the 1930s. Hines said that "we have to organize unemployed councils, tent cities to fight the banks and corporations."

Hines continued by stating that "The banks are our enemies. The utility companies are also effectively evicting people by shutting off their heating and electrical services. At the Highland Towers apartments near Detroit we were able to force DTE Energy to restore power to the people.

"The most oppressed, those who are effected by the crisis, must take the lead. If this happens many other will join the struggle."

Rosemary Williams presented a detailed account of the resistance efforts to prevent her eviction. "You must be grounded among the good people in the community. You must not runaway ashamed and embarassed because you are being evicted. We must reach out to churches and community organizations in the fight against foreclosure and eviction."

Armando Robles discussed his own experience with being evicted illegally from two homes in Chicago. "My family was defrauded by real estate speculators."

Conference Resolutions

A number of resolutions were passed by the conference. One resolution was in support of the SK Hand Tools workers who went on strike in Chicago on August 25. The workers are represented by the Teamsters Local 743. They went on strike after their healthcare coverage was withdrawn unilaterally without notice, forcing the workers into an unfair labor practice strike.

Two other resolutions were passed in support of the Minnesota Welfare Rights Committee demanding "the protection and expansion of public services and public assistance. Also a resolution in support of a National Day of Protest against the economic crisis and the need for a fightback. The projected date for these demonstrations is November 10.