The Green Party of
New Jersey
Updated September 03, 2005
Labor
Issues & Support
Labor Endorses Nader
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) voted at their annual convention August 30 to endorse Ralph Nader's candidacy for President, saying, "The wasted vote in this election would be for the pro-business Democrats and Republicans." The UE joins the 31,000-member California Nurses Association and the 1,200-member AFSCME Local 1108 in endorsing Nader.
The 35,000-member independent union represents workers in manufacturing, public sector and private non-profit sector jobs. The UE has endorsed just four other presidential candidates in its 65-year history.
The union praised Nader's pro-labor platform, which calls for triple back pay for workers fired illegally during an organizing drive, expanded power for the National Labor Relations Board to issue injunctions to stop unfair labor practices, a ban on the permanent replacement of strikers, and, most prominently, repeal of the anti-labor Taft-Hartley Act.
Nader's history of support for labor rights and his strong pro-labor platform have earned the enthusiastic support of growing numbers of rank-and-file union members, who are organizing Labor for Nader groups in major metropolitan areas around the country.
Green Candidates Support Verizon Strike
During the recent Verizon strike, Green candidates joined their local Verizon workers on the picket lines. While Ralph Nader was speaking with strikers in Washington, DC, Green Party of New Jersey Congressional candidates "Gabe" Gabrielsky (district 2), Claudette Meliere (district 8) and Joe Fortunato (district 13) joined local picketers on the lines in New Jersey.
Why Labor is Voting Green
"Decades of corporate-controlled
Democratic and Republican presidencies convince us that we have
no choice but to escape the two-party trap," states a
resolution passed by UE. "Nader's
energetic and principled candidacy will bring us closer to real
labor law reform, national health care and a challenge to if
not controls on the power of multinational
corporations."
The union praised Nader's pro-labor platform, which calls for triple back pay for workers fired illegally during an organizing drive, expanded power for the National Labor Relations Board to issue injunctions to stop unfair labor practices, a ban on the permanent replacement of strikers, and, most prominently, repeal of the anti-labor Taft-Hartley Act.
California Nurses Association praised Nader's "outspoken stance on behalf of an overhaul of the nation's health care system, and strong advocacy of nurses' and patients' rights."
AFSCME Local 1108 cited Nader's support of universal health care, expanded childcare and better wages for childcare workers as reasons for the endorsing Nader.
The Green Party strongly supports the rights of workers to organize, as well as championing a full range of workers rights and workplace quality programs. The Green Party opposes international agreements that encourage worker exploitation abroad while diminishing worker opportunity in the US--including NAFTA, GATT, policies of the WTO and the granting of MFN status to China.
A pre-conference event organized in conjunction with the Independent Politics in a Global World conference, Oct. 6-7, CUNY Graduate Center, 365 5th Ave & 34th St.
Some of the labor's most vocal opponents of Gore & Bush are gathering in New York on Friday afternoon, Oct. 6, to discuss the Nader campaign, the Labor Party, and the ongoing effort to build a militant, democratic, internationalist, and politically independent labor movement.
Join us in support of those trade union figures who have stood up to lesser-evil politics and are attempting to link up with student and community activists and all those beyond the labor movement who wish to build a vibrant independent politics.
The speakers will be joined by Daily News journalist Juan Gonzalez and labor movement commentator and photographer, David Bacon. This event precedes the Independent Politics in a Global World conference. For more information, call 212 817 8215 or go to www.independentpolitics.org. As part of the conference agenda, Ralph Nader will speak on Sunday at Hunter college, between 12:00 noon and 2:00 p.m.
Friday, Oct 6 speakers:
Barbara Bowen, President, Professional Staff Congress, CUNY
Bob Clark, Sec- Treas. United Electrical Workers,
Labor Party national
co-chair.
Jan Pierce, former V.P., District 1, Communication Workers of
America,
national coordinator, Labor for Nader
Roger Toussaint, Presidential Candidate, Transport Workers Union, Local 100
Baldemar Velasquez, President, Farm Laborers Organizing Committee, Labor Party national co-chair.
Touring Nicaraguan trade unionists expected to appear.