Good Evening Comrades, Happy May Day! I am a member of the Professional Staff Congress of CUNY the union which represents 20,000 faculty and staff at the City University of NY...a university with 250,000 students. On Thursday, May 1, the ILWU longshoremen conducted an 8 hour work stoppage to prostest the criminal war that he US government is waging in Iraq.
When member of my local first heard of the longshoremen's plan we recognized its signifigance. In solidarity we organized anti-war activities on ten of our campuses such as bullhorn rallies, teachins, film showings, and tablings. An estimated 75 of our members took part in preparing these activities alongside with students. 10,000 centrally prepared leaflets were distributed.
Early that May Day morning we received tremendous news! I now read to you
EXCERPTS from a letter from Iraq. And I quote:
"May Day Message from the Port Workers in Iraq to West Coast dock workers in the U.S. General Union of Port workers of Iraq.. In solidairty with the ILWU, the General Union of Port Workers in Iraq will stop work for one hour on May Day in the ports of Umm Qasr and Khor Al Zubair.
Dear Brothers and Sisters of ILWU in California
The courageous decision you made to carry out a strike on May Day to protest against the war and occupation of Iraq advances our stuggle argainst occupation to bring a better future for us and the rest of the world as well.
We are certain that a better world will only be created by the workers and what you are doing is an example and proof of what we say. The labor movement is the only element in the society that is able to change the political equations for the benefit of mankind. We in Iraq are looking up to and support you until the victory over the US administration's babarism is achieved.
Over the past five years the sectarian gangs who are the product of the occupation, have been trying to transfer their conflicts into our ranks. Targeting workers, including their residential and shopping areas, indiscriminately using all sorts of explosive devices, mortar shells, and random shooting, were part of a bigger scheme that was aiming to tear up the society but they miserably failed to achieve their goal. We are struggling to defeat BOTH the occupation and sectarian militias' agenda....
Let us hold hands for the victory of our struggle!
Long live the port workers in California!
Long live May Day!
Long live International solidarity! " END QUOTE
The political consciousness and actions of longeshoremen are not limited to Iraq and the west coast of the United States. Around 2 weeks earlier the port workers in Durban, South Africa refused to unload a Chinese boat carrying weapons from the imperialist government of China that were supposed to be unloaded and sent overland to the the repressive government in Zimbabe....well let me tell you those weapons didn't get to Zimbabwe!
FRIENDS, IF WE ARE INSPIRED BY THESE ACT OF INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY, WHAT MUST WE DO?
We must step up our work in our mass organizations, the unions, churches, PTA's, and so forth to bring to the workers the deas of international solidarity and the need to build a revolutionary communist movement to wipe out all imperialist forces around the world.
In particular, we must redouble our efforts to win more workers in basic industry into our party! We need longshoremen, transit workers, and factory workers in the party.
Build the PLP! Let us chant:
Same Enemy, Same Fight, Workers of the World Unite!