US ‘Labor Fightback Network’ Organizing Conference (May 15-17) - 04.11.15

Jack Rasmus interviews long time union representative, Jerry Gordon, and co-organizer of the upcoming Labor Fightback Network conference, to be held May 15-17, at Rutgers, New Brunswick, New Jersey. (For information on the conference, go to:  www.laborfightback.org/conference/  Gordon explains the objectives of the conference, where leading local union and community leaders from across the country are gathering to develop a plan of action for forthcoming labor-community struggles this summer—from the Carolinas’ fight against police violence with the People’s Organization for Progress, to union fightbacks against Koch brothers-financed right to work legislation in Ohio-Wisconsin, to support for the fight to stop the TPP and ‘fast track’, to defend against current efforts in Congress to make seniors pay more for Medicare, and other attacks on union workers benefits. Gordon explains the 3 objectives of the LFN and conference: 1. To get unions and community organizations to launch a ‘national mobilization’ in the streets to stop the attacks, to get local union and community leaders to initiate real independent political action (of the two parties) and run candidates outside the Democratic party, and to forge closer organizational ties between labor and social movements (like opposition to police brutality) now beginning to emerge nationwide.  Rasmus and Gordon discuss at length the recent status of developments like the ‘fast tracking’ of TPP free trade negotiations, the new emerging Koch-brothers funded right to work anti-union offensives forthcoming after Wisconsin and Indiana, cuts in Medicare in the pipeline in Washington, the bankruptcy of the two party system. Jack offers his view and explanation why Hillary Clinton’s coming Sunday, April 12, announcement that she’ll run for president will be followed by her attempt to co-opt Elizabeth Warren’s program, as she (Hillary) continues to gather tens of millions in campaign contributions from bankers and big businesses. Jack explains why, in the end, national union leaders will support her, with further disastrous long term results of unions and workers in the US.