Unions speak out against FBI attacks on civil liberties

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_4655

By Joe Burns
19 October 2010

MINNEAPOLIS - Important labor groups are speaking out against the recent spate of federal attacks on the civil liberties of U.S. peace and labor activists. A National Call-In Day to oppose the FBI raids is Tuesday, Oct. 19.

For more information on the Call-In Day, visit the website of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

On Oct. 1, the convention of AFSCME Council 5, representing 46,000 public employees in Minnesota, passed a resolution objecting to recent FBI raids of prominent peace and labor rights activists in Minneapolis and Chicago.

Likewise, the San Francisco Central Labor Council delegates meeting voted Sept. 27 to denounce the raids and “participate in the ongoing movement to defend our civil rights and civil liberties from FBI infringement.” On Oct. 14, delegates to the Duluth Central Labor Body unanimously adopted a similar resolution opposing the raids. The Duluth resolution "resolved that the DCLB forward this resolution to Midwest-area labor councils and the AFL-CIO and urge these organizations to similarly condemn FBI and DOJ attempts to intimidate and disrupt grassroots social movement."

On Sept. 24, the FBI raided the homes of seven activists, seizing computers, cell phones and documents. The FBI also raided the offices of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee, seizing their computer containing a database of supporters. The peace movement nationally has roundly condemned the FBI for attempting to silence dissent. In the weeks following the raids, demonstrators protested in dozens of US cities.

The FBI also issued subpoenas requiring the activists to testify before a grand jury in Chicago. Many of those subpoenaed are trade unionists. The AFSCME Council 5 resolution noted that four of the subpoenaed activists were members in good standing of ASCME Council 5. The San Francisco CLC resolution made note that among the Chicago activists subpoenaed was Joe Losbaker, a longtime SEIU chief steward at the University of Illinois Chicago and a stalwart in the Chicago labor solidarity scene.

FULL story at link.

[leftstreet]

1. K&R

[ixion]

2. recent? I appreciate their support, however this isn't recent.

It's been going on for decades.

[Rex]

4. + 100000000000

The Man likes his foot on the neck of the people.

[Omaha Steve]

3. Kick

[Scruffy1]

5. If the libertarians weren't phony

They would be all over this. Ditto for teabaggers. They only want freedom for themselves, not for others. So the next time you see a libertarian jsut ask them if they believe in freedom of speech and association and when they say yes ask them why they didn't speak out. Phony%#**&. I've never seen one of these assholes stand up yet, including the pice of crap Ron Paul. Hypocrites all.

[unkachuck]

6. K&R....n/t