COALITION OF BLACK TRADE UNIONISTS
DAY OF PROTEST
HELD ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 9. 2006
AT THE
FELLOWSHIP CHAPEL VILLAGE DOME
7707 WEST OUTER DRIVE
DETROIT, MICHIGAN
REPORT
The Day of Protest Program focused on the following areas:
1)Health Care
2)Pensions
3)Public Employees
4)Public Service
5)Affirmative Action
The President of the Michigan State AFL-CIO Mark Gaffney began the day with the message that we must vote and make sure that everyone that we know also votes. We will not get change any other way.
Rev. Wendell Anthony, host pastor for this conference and President of the largest NAACP chapter in the nation, spoke about our need to defeat the so-called Michigan Civil Rights Initiative that is on the November ballot in Michigan, patterned after the California legislation it would end Affirmative Actiion in government and in our state university system. It was put on the ballot by the well-paid Wardell Connerly from California, author of the California legislation. Our state cannot afford to turn back the clock on Affirmative Action, we must continue to come together and defeat this bill. We must also continue to work together in coalition labor, religion and civil rights to bring about positive change in our communities.
President Bill Lucy set the stage by telling us how we came to be here. The delegates at the 35th Annual CBTU Convention passed a resolution submitted by the St. Louis Chapter to have this day to focus on our problems as trade unionists and as workers. We cannot continue to sit back quietly, as jobs, salaries and benefits are being taken away by bosses, by the courts and by corporate greed. It is in our best interest to formulate a plan of action to stop these losses. This is the first meeting in a series planned to develop that plan of action.
The dean of the Congressional Black Caucus, John Conyers spoke to us about House Bill 676 Universal Health Care. He reminded us that we are the only industrialized nation in the world that does not provide universal health care for its citizens. The bill has garnered support from his colleagues in Congress and from many unions and other civic groups. We must advocate for this legislation by signing and circulating petitions demanding its passage and by getting our unions and others to pass resolutions in support of this legislation. You may get more information by logging onto