Rating: NNNNN
is there ever an anti-war protest without hefty representation from the house of labour? This Saturday’s demonstration hosted by the September 11 Coalition against the carpet bombing of Afghanistan might be something of a sad first.
Although individual locals will participate, the Canadian Labour Congress will be taking a pass, as will the Canadian Auto Workers. The CAW may discuss the whole issue of the war at its council later this month, but of course by then the bombing part of the U.S.-led war may be over.
CAW local 444 in Windsor has beaten its head office to the punch and has adopted an anti-war resolution strong enough to earn itself a denunciation in the Motor City’s daily paper as a friend to Osama bin Laden.”The labour movement must provide an alternative voice to the chorus that says retaliation is the only answer,” the statement says.
Saying that sort of thing is especially daring in Winsdor, just across the bridge from Detroit, home of many clients of the Winsdor casino, whose workers are members of — you guessed it — local 444.
Local prez Ken Lewenza says the war is a sensitive issue among labour leaders because of the economic fallout to their members from the events of September 11. “There’s a little bit of nervousness,” he says.
