H2D Berth 87 Rally

ILWU International Secretary-Treasurer William E. Adams speaking to 5,000 labor union members and supporters at the closing rally of the Hollywood to the Docks march: "I'd like to bring greetings on behalf of all our Officers. Bob McEllrath, our International President. I myself just flew in on a 14-hour flight from Sydney, Australia. There were labor unions from 20 countries and everyone there is going to support the 350,000 workers and this march and in your negotiations. This is not a local issue. This is a global issue. We're talking about working class people. What has happened the last eight years has been the crucifiction of working class people. But I'm here to tell you tonight that this is the ressurrection of working class people in America. As brother Cortez said, it doesn't matter if you work on the docks, the supermarket or are a janitor. We all have a common goal. Look at what is happening to our country. We are in an economic tsunami. We call Wall Street now, 'Fall Street.' There is no responsibility or accountability. Our politicians in Washington DC, they can't seem to figure it out. Who has the political courage to stand up? When the Democrats got in, they said they were going to end this war. And yet they were afraid to stand up to George Bush and Cheney. That is unacceptable. The politicians in DC, it doesn't matter what side of the aisle, their kids aren't the ones dying in Iraq. It's working class people. It's our children who are dying. We are bearing the burden of this. I'd like to say one other thing, I've got to keep this short. But I'd like us all to think about something. If you remember what happened in 1934, there was a man grappling with the bankruptcy of this nation. And in his wheelchair, he said the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. The reason he said that was he saw that America was on the verge of having a revolution. And there're all kinds of revolutions that can take place. You see the young people in this country. They are so excited about what's happening in America. People want change. In 1934, the labor denisty was 34%. Today, it's down to 10%. What is going to happen to all these kids after they go to school? Where are they going to work at? Do we see what's going on with the economy? And all these CEOs are walking off with all this money. We need to hold them accountible. When we were in Sydney, Australia, we were with the most powerful unions in the world. The ILWU, the Teamsters, the Steelworkers, Maritime Union of Australia... We have a common goal and bond. The working class is folding on us and I wish the politicians -- especially those running for president -- would get it straight. There is a difference between middle class and working class. There are people in the ILWU making six, seven dollars an hour. They are not in the middle class. There has to be a distinction and we have to hold them accountable. So I want to say on behalf of the union that I represent -- because the lifeblood of our economy flows through these ports, over $700 billion a year flows through these 29 west coast ports -- that is economic power. We have got to take control of this country and our destiny. Politicians aren't going to do it for us. We have to do it. Really, our destiny is in our own hands."

Channel: News & Politics
Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Author: billorton

Length: 04:37
Rating: N/A
Views: 231

Tags: Docks  H2D  Hollywood  the  to  

Video Comments