Workers Emergency Recovery Campaign

Resolution to Co-Sponsor a Teach-In on the Economic Crisis and the Need for a Workers’ Recovery Plan

Whereas, the San Francisco Labor Council adopted a Report and Recommendations on the current Economic Crisis and the Need for a Workers’ Recovery Plan at its January 12, 2009 Delegates’ meeting presented by its Economic Crisis Committee;

Whereas, the economic situation is continuing to deteriorate by the day — and the $787 billion economic stimulus packet adopted by the U.S. Congress, 38% of which is in tax cuts, mostly to Big Business, is not likely — according to leading economists — to make any substantial improvements in the overall situation facing working people;

Whereas, the new administration is continuing to bail out Wall Street, and new Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is talking about forking over an additional $2.5 trillion to the banks in the hope of “stabilizing” the financial system — a sum that could provide a living-wage and unionized job for every unemployed person in this country for at least two years, thus providing a true stimulus to the economy.

Whereas, the San Francisco Labor Council Economic Crisis Report and Recommendations has been distributed widely to other labor councils for concurrence, and was later adapted and abridged in a letter from Council Executive Director Tim Paulson to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi;

Whereas, the South Bay Labor Council has endorsed the Council’s Economic Crisis Report and Recommendations;

Whereas, a broad-based labor-community coalition, inspired by our Council Report, proceeded to send an Open Letter to President Barack Obama upon his inauguration to urge him — as well as leaders of the labor and progressive movements — to campaign for, and urge implementation of, a 10-point Workers’ Emergency Recovery platform culled from our Council Report;

Whereas, this labor-community coalition — the Workers’ Emergency Recovery Campaign — has organized committees in various cities across the country to promote the main recommendations contained in our Labor Council Report and is working actively to organize broad-based Teach-Ins to promote an organizing campaign around its 10-point platform;

Whereas, an important sector of unions and union activists have launched a Labor For Single Payer nationwide coalition to rally the labor movement to get solidly behind H.R. 676, the Conyers Medicare For All bill; and

Whereas, there is an urgent need to further educate and mobilize our members and our community allies on all these vital issues — so that we can be prepared to lobby more vigorously our members of Congress and organize other actions aimed at winning labor’s main demands  — particularly the fight against any and all layoffs, for the Employee Free Choice Act, for Single Payer Health Care, and for a moratorium on home foreclosures.

Therefore be it resolved, that the San Francisco Labor Council will co-sponsor a Teach-In on the Economic Crisis and the Urgent Need for a Workers’ Recovery Plan, in alliance with the South Bay Labor Council and the Workers’ Emergency Recovery Campaign (WERC), among others. The Teach-In would take place on a Saturday in late April or early May of 2009 — the exact time and place of the Teach-In will be established by the co-sponsors and proposed conference speakers.

Respectfully submitted

by San Francisco Labor Council Economic Crisis Committee

Tags: HR676, labor unions, single payer, WERC