Longshore workers support the National Justice for Trayvon Martin Movement

The following resolution was submitted by Clarence Thomas and passed unanimously at the membership meeting of ILWU Local 10 on July 18.

Whereas, the verdict of the George Zimmerman trial has provoked outcry across the country much like the failure of the Sanford Police Department’s failure to immediately file charges against Zimmerman after the murder of Trayvon Martin, and;

Whereas, a broad base coalition of groups are calling for a massive mobilization in August or September to present a comprehensive set of demands to solidify the social justice movements fighting for justice for Trayvon Martin; to develop and advance a comprehensive boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign, and;

Whereas, this mobilization represents an opportunity for young people, specifically youth of color, to forge a Civil Rights movement in the 21st Century utilizing strategies and tactics of the Civil Rights movements of 50 years ago such as boycotts, sit-ins, marches and mass civil disobedience, and;

Whereas, the labor movement represents the most organized sector of the working class and is strategically positioned to provide leadership and resources for this emerging social justice movement much as we did in the 1960s when we made Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. an honorary member of ILWU Local 10, six months before his assassination, and;

Whereas, preliminary demands include: 1. repeal of the “Stand Your Ground Law,” 2. immediate release of Marissa Alexander, 3. the elimination of the police bill of rights and the numerous civil service rules and judicial policies and procedures that give the police anonymity, freedom from having their behavior recorded and virtual immunity from accountability and prosecution, 4. end to the various policies of containment such as racial profiling, stop and frisk, gang injunctions, secure communities, etc., 5. end the “war on drugs” and all of its related laws, policies and programs, 6. enact democratically elected police control boards with the power to fire, subpoena and indict police officers for human rights violations, 7. demilitarization of domestic law enforcement, including eliminating the use of drones and various surveillance operations and institutions, 8. the redirection of military funding to social programs such as public education, housing, health care, public transportation and grassroots-controlled programs to prevent domestic and intracommunal violence, 9. legislate and enact a national plan of action for racial justice that will make the United States government compliant with all the norms and standards of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on all levels, and;

Therefore be it resolved, ILWU Local 10 supports the National Justice for Trayvon Martin Movement by participating and offering support as we did for the Justice for Oscar Grant Mobilization.