WHEREAS:
During the last twelve years the Bush/Reagan administrations have worked to lessen civil rights, union rights and affirmative action in today's job place, and drastically cut the federal aid that had been invested in the physical and social infrastructure and community development of America's cities; and
WHEREAS:
Many state and local government officials have followed the federal government's lead in ignoring the pressing concerns of this country's poor and working people, particularly in the cities, and have contributed to lost opportunities by neglecting the needed investment in such important areas as job training, education, health care, and infrastructure; and
WHEREAS:
These policies have resulted in high unemployment throughout the country, particularly among different minority communities, and an erosion of the American dream for all Americans; and
WHEREAS:
These policies have overloaded America's social and economic safety net and overloaded public and non-profit workers who address these problems every day in their work situations; and
WHEREAS:
These policies have intensified divisions of racism, sexism and other aspects of cultural diversity that exist in our modern society rather than heal those divisions and promote the benefits that could be gained from appreciating cultural diversity and creating viable communities where adequate living standards can be maintained for all; and
WHEREAS:
These policies have led to the anger and violence shown in Los Angeles after the verdict in the police brutality case of Rodney King, in which people voiced their frustration with a system that has continuously failed them by way of racism, blindness to cultural diversity, and social-economic conditions. Such police brutality highlights the need to authorize independent civilian review boards to investigate citizen complaints against the police in addition to actions that may be taken by police management and city prosecutors; and
WHEREAS:
The current administration has not taken any responsibility for how misguided economic, social and judicial policies of this government have contributed to the problems in our cities, but has rather exacerbated the problems by wrongly labeling the Los Angeles riots a result of spending on "Great Society" programs; and
WHEREAS:
It is in the interest of AFSCME, and the labor movement as a whole, to unite in the fight against racism and poverty and to continue to organize the unorganized and champion the right of all Americans to jobs with reasonable wages and benefits, and to promote a decent standard of living in all aspects of their lives and communities.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME continue to urge Congress to halt further weakening of affirmative action and civil rights programs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME continue to urge Congress for an immediate increase of at least $35 billion in federal aid to city and state governments to restore needed investments in job training, education, community development, housing, health care, social services and economic opportunities. This money should also go toward a massive jobs program to put American workers back to work in the cities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME continue to urge Congress to reorder its priorities away from defense spending toward social investment and to explicitly invest in community-oriented programs that allow citizens and public workers input to determine their own needs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
In many urban communities relations between police and the community range from strained to hostile. Relationships deteriorate even further in periods of economic distress and intolerable unemployment. This deep rooted mutual mistrust must be addressed. Some communities have experimented with programs designed to lesson tensions and to begin to build mutual trust. These programs deserve to be expanded and tried in more communities. Under well defined guidelines, civilian review of some police activities is appropriate, provided that due process is not impaired. Without definitive guarantees of due process, cooperation of the police will not be achieved. AFSCME must also actively support due process rights of all citizens of our communities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME deplores all abuses involving police — both abuses by the police as well as violent attacks on the police. Copies of this resolution will be sent to the NAACP, which is participating in a national factfinding mission on police brutality in the Black community; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME create an Urban Affairs Advisory Committee which will provide input to International AFSCME leadership and will meet to study crucial urban issues including but not limited to employment practices and job opportunities, adequate education, training and requiring adequate skills, aspects of cultural and racial diversity and its effects on the existing social fabric within our communities including police community relations. The committee will review proposals for improving urban affairs and make recommendations on these issues; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will continue to work with civil rights and minority organizations to advance our common goals of protecting civil and constitutional rights; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will renew its commitment to fighting discrimination both within the Union and without. AFSCME will develop programs and materials to address discrimination in all its forms and stress the importance of building unity among diverse groups; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
The committee shall be appointed within 60 days following the close of Convention and the findings of the committee shall be reported to the International Executive Board and a report shall be issued to the next International Convention. This report shall be made available to all councils and unaffiliated locals.
SUBMITTED BY:
INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARDMary Burbage, President
Liz Larsen, Delegate
AFSCME Local 443, Council 28
WashingtonCharles Hicks, President and Delegate
AFSCME Local 1808, Council 20
District of Columbia