WHEREAS:

AFSCME has long believed that the support of human rights for all people in the world is inseparable from our own enjoyment of freedom and democracy in the United States; and

WHEREAS:

AFSCME's support of human rights on an international basis is also rooted in our deep commitment to the role of free trade unions in supporting and safeguarding workers' rights both on the job and in their community; and

WHEREAS:

Historically dictators and despots bent on destroying democracy and self government first attack free trade unions and the people who would build and defend workers' organizations; and

WHEREAS:

The U.S. Administration in the guise of confronting communism provides military aid to governments around the world that systematically deny their own people and especially the free trade union movement basic human rights such as the right to protest grievances, the right to voice opposition or dissent and the right of a free press; and

WHEREAS:

The Administration has proposed a military aid package to Turkey totaling more than $900 million, the third largest U.S. foreign aid program, while at the same time widespread and systematic torture of political prisoners and trade unionists continues under the so-called "return to democracy" regime; and

WHEREAS:

The Administrations continues and proposes to expand its military aid to the Marcos regime in the Philippines despite the harassment of trade union movement and the wide-spread denial of civil and human rights under a harsh military Administration; and

WHEREAS:

Systematic denial of human rights in Haiti together with a continuing campaign of terror against those who seek political rights and freedom has reached such intensity that thousands of Haitians would rather face death in the open sea rather than submit to oppression and imprisonment; and

WHEREAS:

The communist dictatorship in Poland continues its effort to suppress Solidarity while at the same time attempting to create a fraudulent trade union movement to serve as a cover for its suppression of human and civil rights.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That this 26th International Convention calls on the U.S. Congress and the Administration to reaffirm this nation's historic commitment to freedom and human rights by insisting that military aid programs and arms shipments will be refused to those countries that systematically abuse human rights and trade union freedom; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That this 26th International Convention urge the Turkish government to release all detained trade union leaders and trade unionists imprisoned for the nonviolent expression of their right to freedom of association and expression and renounce the use of torture by military and law-enforcement personnel; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME urge the Marcos regime to cease its harassment of the labor movement and to take steps to restore to public workers the right to organize and form unions which was denied them by virtue of a constitutional provision demanded by the military government; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME urge the U.S. Administration to exert every pressure, including withholding of military and economic aid, on the Haitian government in order to induce it to cease its destruction of human rights by illegal imprisonment, torture and killings; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That copies of this resolution be forwarded to the appropriate persons in the United States and in the countries involved to the end that the concern of this union and its membership for human and trade union rights will be known and understood throughout the world.

SUBMITTED BY:

International Executive Board

Janet Kodish, President
Lisa Kermish, Secretary
AFSCME Local 3211
Berkeley, California

Christina Peterson, President
Martin Ethingtow, Secretary
Local 843, Council 28
Seattle, Washington

Diane Goldberg, Delegate
Terry J. Graves, Delegate
Anita Hicks, Delegate
Cheryl LaBash, Delegate
Local 457, Council 25
Detroit, Michigan

Estella Habal, Executive Board
Patti Cordova, Delegate
Local 3218
Berkeley, California

Marion Porro, President and Delegate
Local 1930, Council 37
New York, New York