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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Union Democracy And The AFL-CIO On Trial -- The Lynching of David Johnson |
Current rating: 0 |
by The Warzone -- Mike Griffin
Email: MgriffWZEF (nospam) aol.com (unverified!) |
24 Jan 2001
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As we walked to the trial room, I asked Brother Johnson if he was ready for
the hanging. Weeks before the trial as we gathered our facts, witnesses, and
prepared for trial I let Dave know from experience that no matter how well we
prepared, no matter what we proved, the verdict would be guilty! Dave replied
with a sigh and, "I know". Dave wasn't guilty of anything, but it didn't
matter. |
As we walked to the trial room, I asked Brother Johnson if he was ready for
the hanging. Weeks before the trial as we gathered our facts, witnesses, and
prepared for trial I let Dave know from experience that no matter how well we
prepared, no matter what we proved, the verdict would be guilty! Dave replied
with a sigh and, \"I know\". Dave wasn\'t guilty of anything, but it didn\'t
matter. If Dave were not somehow punished, others would think they could
speak up as well. An Executive Board member had told Dave weeks before, \" If
you hadn\'t gone public about this, we were just going to censure you and let
it go\". You see, he was already guilty before any evidence was presented.
We gathered around the trial table and the AFL-CIO representative, Mike
Klein, laid out the rules. Immediately, the charging party demanded that no
lawyers or delegates be allowed. He was quickly overruled, as we knew he
would be. They had to make this look fair, especially with an attorney
present and the large crowd outside, but more because they knew the outcome.
Dave made his opening statement, which let them know that court action would
follow if the charges were not dropped and he refused to accept anything
short of full vindication. That set the tone for the hearing. We then
challenged the validity of the hearing as the Executive Board at a prior
meeting had failed to take a vote on the validity of the charges as required
by the constitution. They were obviously prepared for that challenge as Dave
had raised that issue with the board president weeks before. Klein stepped in
and made the point that there was a consensus even if they didn\'t vote; so
much for the AFL-CIO Constitution. I pressed the issue and pointed out that
a vote was mandated, but it made no difference. The rules change when they
violate them because it is their system, their rules, and they are always
steeped in ambiguity, and \"flexible\" for every occasion. No one censured the
AFL-CIO!
We moved to challenging the basis of the charge, in particular, one line
that said Dave had spoken as Vice President of the AFL-CIO. We knew that
wasn\'t true and as well, they knew. We called six witnesses who testified
that Dave had given a disclaimer to the reporter. Klein bantered
occasionally with witnesses and at one point made an argument that sounded as
if he had already made his decision and was attempting to influence the
board. We challenged his argument asking if the trial was over; if there was
any need to continue; quickly drawing his ire. Almost laughable, Klein
raised the issue with a witness from the Greens Party, the story about Nader
firing workers for trying to organize in his organization. I countered with
Gore campaigning of cutting 300,000 federal jobs, millions of jobs lost due
to NAFTA, GATT, and Gore pushing the Multi-lateral Agreement on Investment.
Klein dropped the issue. I am unclear what relevance that had to the trial,
but I suspect this overpaid suit had never met a real live Green before and
he want to see if it had a thought process anywhere equal to his own. Steve
Brewer\'s questions, [the charging party] consisted mostly of whether the
witnesses were union or not. We would later be astounded by his brilliance
when he proclaimed that we did not prove anything because none of the
witnesses were union or members of the council. It must be concluded I
suppose, in the mind of Brewer and some of the council members, the witnesses
could not be believed. Some witnesses, in fact, were union members and two
were associate delegates to the labor council. When we prepared to view
video footage from a local TV station showing Dave giving a disclaimer,
Brewer mysteriously left the trial and did not return till it was over.
Under questioning he volunteered that if he knew Dave had made a disclaimer,
he would have dropped the charges. I pointed out that we just proved it.
He then made the claim we did not prove Dave made any disclaimers and when we
pointed to the video and six witnesses, he responded he did not see the video
and he did not believe the witnesses. When I pushed the issue about proof of
disclaimers, he responded that he said he would have, but would not drop the
charge now. When I asked Brewer if anyone or group had discussed with him
the subject of filing the charge, I received an angry and loud response from
another board member from the building trades, objecting to the question. I
took the position that if the charge was part of a concerted effort with
malicious intent, the charge had no merit. One board member suggested that we
should have had the reporter present. We responded that we tried but he was
being pressured by his employer to not get involved. He in fact agreed to
come or give a deposition but did not show. Clearly, some board members were
looking for an out, an excuse for a guilty verdict, and in the end they chose
to ignore the video and six witnesses. In closing, Dave\'s attorney offered
to approach the newspaper about printing the disclaimer in return for
dropping the charges, but they declined. Brewer asked the board to remove
Dave from office and from the council, but we knew they would not go that far
even though there was support from other board members.
We left the hearing and returned to the hall where many supporters
remained. The board began deliberations, which took several hours. We
answered questions and gave interviews to local independent media. Brother
Johnson asked me what I thought and I responded that we gave a good case in
there, we proved everything we set out to do, but it makes no difference. I
think the verdict will be guilty and you will be censured. I explained to
Dave, \"it was a choice of getting hung with a new rope or an old one; they\'ll
use and old one. After they inflict just the right amount of pain, it will
break. The AFL-CIO wants this to go away, it has become too visible\".
It is my guess Klein was there to make sure some punishment was rendered,
but to hold it to a minimum. In that respect, he did some good because there
were board members who wanted Dave off the board and out of the council,
mostly building trades. Censured doesn\'t sound all that bad till you consider
the impact and why he was censured? He was censured because he spoke
publicly about being railroaded. When his story was carried in several
papers and on the Internet, they were exposed for what they were. I do not
believe this was really about his political views; it is about disrupting the
leadership of the council, taking control. Under censure, if Dave speaks out
about the injustice of what happened, you can bet they will make a move to
remove him from office and the council. Censure is about controlling David
Johnson, controlling his speech, and I have no doubt some AFL-CIO rocket
scientist is under the illusion that Dave will take his lumps quietly; be
thankful for the light sentence, and be a good little soldier marching around
in mindless bliss. Then they would promote him on staff.
As Brother Johnson and I spoke the following morning and he gave me the
verdict, he remarked how I had written the script from beginning to end.
\"They did everything you told me they would, down to the smallest detail\', He
said. It is not hard to figure them out; they have an SOP that has not
changed for years. When you speak up publicly, you become the enemy; exactly
the way the corporations respond to workers. I cannot say how many times
I\'ve heard, \"lets keep it in-house, let\'s not air our dirty laundry to the
public\". That is exactly why corruption is rampant in the union movement and
pension funds and dues are being stolen at a record rate. Why struggles are
sold out and how top down control has nearly destroyed our union. We need
more David Johnsons, not more control, more voice and less fear of our union.
We need unions that fight for the members, not try to destroy them. Dave
wondered aloud after the hearing, \" I wonder how many good union people these
hacks have driven from union service?\" I responded, \"tens of thousands.\"
After the deliberation concluded, Mike Klein gave his views on why
Brother Johnson was convicted. Going public and bringing the media into the
fray was one reason. Who did Klein discuss the trial with and give his
opinions to? The media! Klein blamed the reporter who failed to testify.
Smoke and mirrors citizens. Six witnesses and videotape proved Brother
Johnson gave the appropriate disclaimers; lets not shift the blame from an
angry Executive board that refused to believe proof because it did not
satisfy their anger. I wonder if charges will be filed against Klein for
speaking to the media.
Mike Griffin Decatur IL
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Comments
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Boycott contributors to the Republican Party |
by Winston Smith
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
24 Jan 2001
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Hello
First of all, I make no money from this boycott. I don't seek any public office. I cannot do this alone. I cannot do this without you. The people who boycott own the boycott, not just me.
Second. I support the protests, but honestly do you believe the Republicans will do anything as a result of the protests? People should make their voices heard. Republicans listen to their contributors first before they will listen to you and me. Republicans understand MONEY more than they understand protest.
Third, I believe that people should vote. However as important a voting appears, look what happened in Florida. Still I say vote so you can support those who help you and punish the ones who oppose your views but how often can you do this? Once every year in local general elections. Once every two years for congress and once every four years for president. Once every six years for Senator.
What can people do every day? They can boycott, namely go on STRIKE. They make a purchasing STRIKE. They take their hard earned money and only buy from people other than the ones they want to punish. Who do you want to punish? You want to punish those who give aid and comfort and money to the Republicans. One person cannot do it alone. A boycott appears as one large buyers union where people organize not for price discounts but for punishment, to STRIKE. With a labor STRIKE you withhold your labor. With a boycott, you withhold your money but unlike the labor strike you can buy elsewhere. Do we have to boycott every contributor to the Republican Party? No. You only need to punish the big and prominent ones and hold them hostage economically which appears legal, make demands of them in order to force the Republicans to do OUR agenda.
I heard over the weekend at the demonstrations people say that you will only get something done when you challenge those in power and people in power will not willingly give away their power. You have to take it away. Money appears as one measure of power. If you take away money you take away power to a great extent. How do you get at the people in power? Indirectly through their campaign contributors and also with bystanders. Dante once mentioned, their appears a special place in hell for bystanders, who take no position while injustice occurs. But we need many people and just like with advertising you have to send the message over and over. Over 100 people look at my website every day. 15 percent of these people send the boycott petition to the President and congress. At the peak where my website address got in the Village Voice Newspaper in NYC last week, over 400 people looked at my site on one day and I got 75 people to send in the petition in one day! 1460 families have now joined this boycott since November.
You have to punish those you oppose every day to get your agenda done eventually. You do that by punishing the contributors to the Republican Party. Yes, protest, yes vote but use your purchasing power.
You cannot bribe a politician to get your agenda done but you can threaten a politician through their contributors and hurt both of them for not doing your agenda by not buying from their contributors and you can do it with a VENGEANCE but you need many people and you need to organize.
I would like to credit Moses, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela as the original and famous practitioners of boycotts.
Moses? Yes, with the help of G-d he turned Egypt's water into Blood, locusts to ruin the food supply, smote Egypt's first born until Pharoah capitulated.
Thank you for reading this.
So let it get written, so let it get done.
http://www.boycott-republicans.com
Hello
As of today I begin OPERATION OPENING DAY BASEBALL. Those who want to join especially groups of people can do the following as a volunteer. If you go to the opening baseball game in your city, make up a cloth sign which you can easily hide. Also do this at other baseball games on any date and at other sporting events like the Kentucky Derby, basketball, hockey, etc.
Write the words FRAUD W BUSH on your cloth sign and optionally place the url
boycott-republicans.com and/or another url the person desires.
on the sign as well. When you get to the game unfurl it and let the tv cameras focus on it. You do not need the www
If you go see if you can get a seat behind home plate. Also this applies to any baseball game you go to as a group or individual.
I ALSO WANT VOLUNTEERS FOR OPERATION ALL STAR GAME AND OPERATION WORLD SERIES.
It might appear too late for people to do this for the Super Bowl but if you can, then do so. At least someone has planned a banner flying over the stadium in Tampa.
Why did I pick FRAUD W BUSH as the words? Because they appear short and to the point.
TEXAS RANGER BASEBALL FANS, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THIS AS MANY GAMES AS YOU LIKE INCLUDING OPENING DAY AND ANY GAME THAT FRAUD W BUSH GOES TO.
http://www.boycott-republicans.com
Thank you for your service to exposing FRAUD W BUSH to the legitimate embarrassment he deserves.
The Emperor has no clothes.
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See also:
http://www.boycott-republicans.com
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