The American labor movement unequivocally vowed to heal any division in the Democratic Party at the opening session of the 37th International Convention of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, held last Thursday at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in Downtown St. Louis.
The senior leadership of the CBTU, the senior leadership of St. Louis organized labor, and executive leaders from the national AFL-CIO and many other powerful international unions all spoke as one, vowing to register voters, mobilize union members and educate constituents to defeat the Republican Party in November.
Whether local to St. Louis or national, whether black or white – more than a dozen senior-level labor leaders all dismissed any divisions in the Democratic Party and challenged the rank and file to actively work to elect a Democratic U.S. president.
“You can take a break after November 4th,” said William (Bill) Lucy, beloved president of CBTU, making a reference to the date of the 2008 General Election.
Other labor leaders who spoke in unison with Lucy include:
* Arlene Holt-Baker, executive vice president of the international AFL-CIO and the highest-ranking minority in the American labor movement.
* Henry Nicholas, international vice president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
* Robert Soutier, president of the St. Louis Labor Council
* Gerald Feldhaus, executive secretary of the Building and Construction Trades Council of St. Louis
* and Hugh McVey, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO.
Though everyone referred to all of their colleagues as “brother” or “sister,” regardless of race, it is worth noting that Soutier, Feldhaus and McVey are white – indeed, they are three of the most powerful labor leaders in heavily unionized St. Louis.
For one morning, at least, it was easy to believe that there are no divisions by race or gender in the Democratic Party and that adequate and dedicated leadership is in place to attack any divisions left over from a contentious Democratic primary.
CBTU is strongly pushing an Obama candidacy. Obama spoke live at the coalition’s 2007 convention in his hometown of Chicago, which did much to drive black labor activists to pressure their unions to endorse him.
Obama called into the Thursday morning session of the CBTU convention from the campaign trail, promising to “fight for the right to organize” and greeting by name many CBTU leaders he had met on the campaign trail.
Even his disembodied voice relayed by telephone drew a standing ovation.
Though some powerful union organizations – including the AFL-CIO – have not endorsed Obama openly, the pro-Obama spirit that overwhelmed the convention (and the black community in general) animated even the non-black president of the Missouri AFL-CIO.
After apologizing to his “boss,” AFL-CIO international Executive Vice President Arlene Holt-Baker – who is an African-American woman – Hugh McVey, a powerhouse white labor leader in Missouri, said he must depart from the union’s official protocol of neutrality and promise that Barack Obama would be the next president of the United States.
After providing a familiar litany of the U.S.’s social and economic woes, McVey said of Obama, “This can change, and the way to change is to follow this man into the White House.”
Like the other labor leaders who spoke at the conference, McVey pledged to work to bring about change.
“How Missouri goes, the country goes – and Missouri will do what we have to do,” McVey said.
Later in the convention, the various regional administrations of CBTU met in individual sessions and women organized a day of health presentations, including a startling session on the prevalence of HIV among older adults.
The Sunday morning worship service was led by the Rev. Douglas Parham, the most fierce local defender of former Fire Chief Sherman George.
The St. Louis Branch of CBTU, led by president Lew Moye, awarded Parham and George in its 2007 scholarship dinner.
George also met with labor leaders at the conference in private to discuss his grievances with Mayor Francis G. Slay. The Civil Service Commission is expected to deliver a judgment soon on George’s allegations against the mayor of racial discrimination and illegal job action.
For more information, visit www.cbtu.org.
