Photo by Herald Grandstaff

GCIU Vice Pres. Lawrence Martinez, who directs the union's legislative activities, reports on a 50-50 drawing, assisted by Dennis B. Doris Jr., who helped Martinez with election actions this year.

The upcoming U.S. elections, the economy, health care, the war in Iraq, and labor law reform were topics of concern in resolutions brought before the Legislative Committee at the GCIU convention.

With the U.S. elections approaching, convention delegates participated in precinct walks organized by Vice Pres. Lawrence Martinez, Montpelier-Barre 745C Pres. Daniel Brush, who also is president of the Vermont AFL-CIO; and the South Florida AFL-CIO.

The housecalling, which targeted union families in Miami neighborhoods around Miami, provided literature on the candidates and the phone number for the task force that was organized to try to make sure that voting procedures were fairer in this election than in 2000.

Martinez thanked the precinct walk participants for helping to "make an impact" on the elections.

Martinez also thanked delegates for contributing more than $5,400 to the GCIU's Political Action Fund during the five-day convention.

Martinez introduced Rhode Island State Senator John Tassoni Jr. to convention delegates. Tassoni was a past president of Providence 239M and then a business agent with Providence 12N after the two locals merged. Elected to the state senate in 2000, Tassoni also is a business agent with State, County and Municipal Employees Council 94.

Tassoni said the people of Rhode Island are suffering similar problems from the policies of the state's multimillionaire Republican Gov. Don Carcieri as under Republican President Bush–the loss of jobs and tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations while funds for education and social services are being cut.

Ignoring unemployment and the tax cuts for the corporations and wealthy, Carcieri instead tells Rhode Island citizens that public employees are to blame for the state's financial condition, Tassoni said. Carcieri refuses to bargain with public employees and has launched a media campaign against them, Tassoni said.

Noting that he was a hockey goalie for 17 years, Tassoni said: "The past four years have been the worst as far as playing defense. That's all I can do in Rhode Island is play defense. The Republicans throughout the country, starting from the top down, are getting into your back pocket daily. So, we need to change the course of America."

Committee Chairman Dean Stanton of St. Paul 1M and Secy. Howard Fisk of Twin Cities 1B, who introduced the resolutions, thanked Martinez and Dennis B. Doris Jr., who assists with legislative affairs, for helping the committee.

Resolutions from the Legislative Committee that were endorsed by delegates called for:

• Support for the Democratic ticket of senators John Kerry and John Edwards;
• Passage of the Employee Free Choice Act that would provide for card check recognition during organizing campaigns and require mediation for first-time contracts;
• The U.S. government to "rebuild bridges" with allies to make the effort to build a democracy in Iraq an international effort;
• The establishment of a national, universal single-payer health care system in the United States;
• The return to economic policies in America that contribute to high wage jobs, end deficit spending based on "inequitable tax cuts," and protect Social Security;
• And an end to the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.

Graphic Communicator photo by Susan Zachem

Convention volunteers made house calls in Miami to get out the vote.