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The Million Worker March: An interview with Clarence Thomas of =
ILWU Local 10=20
October 12, 2004
Derrick O'Keefe=20
This Sunday, October 17, the Million Worker March (MWM) will be =
held in Wa****ngton, D.C. to bring focus and attention to the demands of =
working people and their allies in the United States. Speakers will =
include Dick Gregory, Danny Glover, Martin Luther King III, and a number =
of trade union activists. But with the presidential election only three =
weeks away, some, including the leader****p of the AFL-CIO, feel that =
this is not the time to be marching.=20
Clarence Thomas (known by his friends and associates as "the real =
Clarence Thomas"), an offical with the International and Warehouseman's =
Union (ILWU) Local 10, disagrees, arguing that it's essential that the =
demands of the working class and the poor be heard both during this =
election campaign and beyond. Thomas is a long-time labour activist who =
has also worked consistently on a number of international issues. Last =
year, he travelled to Iraq with a delegation from U.S. Labor Against the =
War. He recently spoke with Seven Oaks about the October 17 mobilization =
and the impact the organizers hope it will have on U.S. labour and =
social justice movements.
Seven Oaks: What were the initial motivations for calling next =
Sunday's mobilization?
Clarence Thomas: The Million Worker March was called in response =
to the attacks on working families, and to the millions of jobs that =
have been lost during the Bush Administration. It was our *****sment =
that the working class had not suffered such hard****p since the Great =
Depression. We're talking about the outsourcing of jobs. And, after =
9/11, we had the establishment of Homeland Security and then Bush turned =
around and said, 'there will not be any unions in the Homeland Security =
department because unions are an impediment to security.' Even in the =
ILWU we faced the issue of ****t security. And of course the Patriot Act =
and the war in Iraq -- all of these things were part of the reason for =
calling this mobilization.
S.O.: What are some of the key demands of the MWM?
Thomas: Universal health care, stopping the dismantling of public =
education, bringing the troops home now, the reinforcement of all civil =
rights - these particular demands are at the centre of our t-****rt. But =
I think that, when we talk about the demands, one is most certainly a =
national living wage that lifts people out of poverty. Another demand is =
protection and enhancement of social security, immune to privatization; =
and ensuring that pensions are guaranteed, so that cor****ations can't =
get out of paying pensions for people who want them. We want to cut the =
military budget. It's bloated, and it has become a means by which =
there's like a revolving door of money, with elected official getting =
campaign donations from defence contractors.=20
S.O.: The leader****p of the AFL-CIO has been critical of the MWM. =
How has this played out, in terms of getting sup****t from union locals =
and amongst rank-and-file members?
Thomas: Let me put it to you this way: The march has grown into a =
movement. And I think what the AFL-CIO was able to do with their =
position of non-endorsement of the march is that it stifled presidents =
of international unions from contributing money. They have been very =
effective at that. It has in no way stopped the rank-and-file, because =
the rank-and-file are the people that are feeling the pain. It's the =
rank-and-file that have gotten tired of the concessionary bargaining =
that's going on, and in some instances you have business unionism types =
that are heading certain international unions. It's im****tant to =
understand this. Despite the fact of the letter that was issued that =
basically went out as a memo dated June 23, they have not been able to =
stop the rank-and-file organizing this thing. The rank-and-file want it. =
One of the paragraphs of the letter indicated, 'while we may agree with =
many of the aims and issues of the march.' Well, anyone who calls =
themselves a trade unionist could not be against these demands. But they =
have been able to put the kibosh on us receiving funding from major =
labour organizations, because of the fact that they have made a decision =
to give all of the money to John Kerry. And John Kerry is giving labour =
noting in return.
S.O.: That was my next question, about the presidential election. =
Obviously U.S. labour is doing a lot for John Kerry's campaign. Is a =
Kerry victory going to do anything for U.S. labour?
Thomas: Well, I mean, they're not asking him for anything. They're =
not putting forth any demands. The only people putting forth any demands =
are the people involved with the Million Worker March. They are not =
putting forth any demands on Kerry for the millions of dollars that =
they've given, and I find that to be unconscionable.=20
The ILWU, internationally, has endorsed John Kerry, we need to say =
that for the record. But we have autonomy in the ILWU. The ILWU has a =
history of autonomy, and it's also im****tant to understand that ILWU =
Local 10, that passed this [MWM] resolution, is the home of the =
legendary labour leader Harry Bridges. This is Harry's local. This is =
the local that has been in the forefront of taking positions concerning =
U.S. foreign policy. We are the local that boycotted the first ****ps =
from South Africa in the early 1980s, led by legendary rank-and-file =
ILWU member Leo Robinson, who played such a critical role in galvanizing =
U.S. labour sup****t for South Africa. This is the local that shutdown =
the ****t in opposition to the WTO (World Trade Organization), that led =
that struggle. We passed resolutions that were adopted up and down the =
coast. We have a history of being not only militant and sup****ting trade =
union issues, but of being in the forefront on issues involving economic =
and social justice.=20
S.O.: In terms of foreign policy issues, the MWM made a call-out =
to the movement against war and occupation. How has the response been =
from anti-war activists and coalitions in the United States?
Thomas: United for Peace and Justice has endorsed the march, =
International ANSWER has endorsed the march, the International Action =
Center has endorsed the march - we think the response has been great. =
U.S. Labor Against the War did not endorse the march. However, its =
co-convenor, Gene Bruskin, has endorsed the march and that took place =
after they had decided against it.=20
S.O.: What kind of number are you expecting on Sunday?
Thomas: As far as numbers are concerned, let me share this with =
you: I was at the Million Man March in October 1995, I was at the =
Million Woman March in 1997. At the Million Man March, there was well =
over a million people there, but the media said 500 thousand. At the =
Million Woman March, the numbers were close to a million, maybe between =
800 and 900 thousand. But it doesn't matter what the numbers are. I can =
tell you this: there will be millions of workers represented, in terms =
of organizations and so forth, at that march. Whether of not there will =
be a million people, I would not say that there would be. We don't have =
to have a million people out there. It's going to be historic and it's =
needed, because this is going to be our 21 st century civil rights =
movement, based around class issues. Because the issues that Dr. King =
spoke of at the 1963 March on Wa****ngton was addressed to a particular =
plight of Black folks. Now, these same issues that were affecting Black =
folks in dispro****tionate numbers, are affecting people of all races as =
we move into this 21 st century.=20
S.O.: What can people do who won't be able to get to Wa****ngton, =
D.C., maybe like some of us on the West coast, in terms of sup****ting =
the march?
Thomas: One of the things they can do is to visit our website at =
www.millionworkermarch.org and click on the PayPal button to make a =
donation, because we have to pay for everything with regard to this. =
They can order our t-****rts. This is a rank-and-file grassroots =
democracy effort - we've had to pay for all of these things out of our =
pocket. We have received some funding from ILWU Local 10, and ILWU =
locals up and down. We have also received donations from various other =
unions, but it has been from locals. It has not been the kind of sizable =
donations that typically you would find in an organized labour movement =
event. So that's one of the key things people can do.
But they can also watch the event. I think it is going to be =
covered by C-SPAN. And they can follow what we're going to be doing =
after the march, this is just phase 1.=20
S.O.: Anything else you'd like to say about the march, or the =
election?
Thomas: I think that whatever one's expectations are of the =
elections, one thing is sure: All elected officials need to be held =
accountable. And no matter who is elected president, the working class =
has work to do, because it's not going to make any difference with =
regards to the policy in Iraq, with regards to cutting that military =
budget, with regards to these demands that we're putting forward. It's =
not going to matter who's in the White House. These demands are going to =
have to be fought for.=20
Home Features The Million Worker March: An interview with (the =
real) Clarence Thomas Message to our friends and readers Essays & =
Reviews Dillinger in Hollywood: The short stories of John Sayles =
Blogging the occupation Going Upriver, John Kerry's long war(s) Seven =
Questions Bruce Springsteen Seven Links=20
in-depth The Funny Pages
Labour of Love
Donate to Seven Oaks=20
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Word Up! Magazine
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