Powerful Speakers Take Center Stage on Second Day of Convention (8/3/10)

Two of the most impassioned speakers from the progressive political ranks brought down the house at the second day of the RWDSU Convention today, with both drawing standing ovations from the delegates. 

The Rev. Al Sharpton, head of the National Action Network, energized the crowd and preached “You can’t win a fight by smooching.  You win a fight by standing up and fighting. If you are scared, then sit down and shut up and let someone who isn’t scared stand up and fight. We don’t need wimps out front.”

Sharpton laid out the progressive side of the political debate in the United States when he said, “Government’s job is not to decide what goes on in our bedrooms; government’s job is to decide what we have to do to put some meat in the kitchen.”

   
Richard L. Trumka (above), President of the AFL-CIO, the nation’s biggest labor federation, drew his biggest applause when he spoke via live satellite from Washington: “A solid bloc of congressional Republicans has fought every effort to create good jobs here in America. That same solid bloc of congressional Republicans -- joined by a few Democrats, I might add -- refused to extend unemployment benefits to millions of hard-working people who haven't found work no matter how hard they’ve tried.

“And on health care reform and Wall Street reform and everything we stand for … the party of "No" sided with the hedge fund managers and the insurance companies and the big bankers and tried to face down working families.
 
“They’re already saying if they win in November they’ll repeal health care reform and Wall Street reform.  But we’re not going to back down.”

The day began with a moving presentation and invocation by three immigrant workers, all of whom are Muslims, who’d helped lead the union’s successful fight to become the first American union to negotiate Eid al Fitr, an important Muslim religious day, as a paid holiday, in their most recent contract.

One of the Somali workers, Imam Arab Liban, stirred the crowd with a lilting Muslim call to prayer.  A second, Soloman Tefera Abate told the story of the union’s remarkable contract victory, adding, “You have the Bible, we have the Koran, but we are all one family under one kingdom.”

Abdillahi Jama, said, “I am a Muslim from Ethiopia, but we are all the same and we rejoice in our happiness together.”

RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum, who is himself Jewish and who drew fire from Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck for including the Muslim holiday in the union’s contract demands, said: “This kind of brotherhood is pleasing to God, no matter what your religion.”

Trumka praised the RWDSU for its backing of a 10-week strike at a Mott’s apple products plant owned by Dr. Pepper Snapple in Williamson, NY.

“For the DPS executives far away in Plano, Texas with their $550 million profit last year, the dollars at stake may seem like just a few more little jewels for their crowns.  But for working families, it’s a line in the sand, it’s saying “NO!” to “low-waging” the middle class out of existence.

“The actions of DPS executives are unconscionable.  They enjoy record profits—earned from your labor.  They grant themselves outrageous bonuses and then turn around and want to cut your wages.  It’s the industry standard, they say.  And sadly -- this is business as usual for too many corporate CEOs across America.

“The truth is, there is no pay cut deep enough, no bonus large enough, to satisfy the greed in their hearts. Well, we’re done with that kind of business as usual.”

Sharpton railed at states that are trying to circumvent federal laws passed by the Obama Administration.

“The rewriting of what’s right and what’s wrong in the country is what we face,” he said.

“If we’d done it state by state, we would have never had civil rights in this country.  They are trying to bring us back from a strong central government to states rights. Our message to them? The Civil War is over and the Union won.”

Sharpton also criticized Democratic Party and labor leaders who want to go slow in bringing about changes promised by President Barack Obama.

UFCW Executive V.P. Director of Organizing Pat O'Neill (above) discussed the RWDSU's innovative organizing strategies, like the Retail Organizing Project.

New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton (above), and fellow MP, his wife Olivia Chow (below) discussed the anti-worker, anti-union administration of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and how the NDP is fighting to take back Canada for working families.

IUF General Secretary Ron Oswald (above) discussed the importance of building global solidarity to push back against todays multinational corporations.