Chicago Conference Calls for Fightback Against Economic Crisis

[XXPANTHAXX]

by Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire
Chicago

Chicago Fightback Conference photograph
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) on Flickr - P

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.