Federal jobs bill campaign gains strength

by Evelina Alarcon

This article was reprinted from the November 18, 1995 issue of the People's Weekly World. For subscription information see below. All rights reserved - may be used with PWW credits.

"The Martinez Jobs Bill (HR 1591) has inspired a renewed fight for jobs by the labor movement," said Art Rodriguez, coordinator of the Labor Coalition For Public Works Jobs (LCPWJ), a Los Angeles based organization of over 50 trade union leaders who initiated the legislation. Jim Wood, executive secretary of the Los Angeles Federation of Labor, serves as the coalition's honorary chair.

In the last week alone, the Southern Arizona Central Labor Council, Arizona Operating Engineers Local 428 (a statewide local), the San Diego Chapter of the Federation of Retired Union Members and the North Texas Chapter of Jobs With Justice passed resolutions in support of the bill, Rodriguez said. "Kent Wong, national president of the Asian Pacific Americans Labor Alliance, just endorsed the bill as well."

LCPWJ has launched a national campaign to win labor and community support for the $250 billion Jobs bill introduced by Rep. Matthew Martinez (D-Calif.) which will put millions to work rebuilding the nation's infrastructure.

Rodriguez said trade unionists have two fights: "to stop Republicans from cutting pro-labor, pro-people's programs and to go on the offensive to fight for what our country desperately needs -- decent jobs at union wages!"

During recent trips to Seattle, Washington and Tucson, Arizona, Rodriguez met with central labor councils, public officials, trade union and community leaders. "This, has snowballed into a campaign in each state where trade union leaders are taking the lead in building a movement to pass HR-1591, the Jobs Creation and Infrastructure Restoration Act of 1995," Rodriguez said. "Both the Washington State Federation of Labor and the National Convention of the Coalition of Labor Union Women have endorsed the bill.

Carl Wood, business agent for Utility Workers Union Local 246 and a member of the steering committee of the jobs coalition, told the World that the Contra Costa and San Mateo county labor councils have endorsed the bill, as have councils in Alameda and Sacramento.

"When labor acts that means pressure on the Congress," said Jerry Acosta the LCPWJ chair and regional director of the Utilities Workers Union. Acosta told the World that Art Pulaski, the executive secretary of the San Mateo Labor Council immediately contacted Rep.Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) after the council took action supporting the bill and that Lantos responded by "signing on" to the bill.

Another recent co-sponsor is Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. The bill now has 19 sponsors.

Pulaski also wrote letters to every labor council in California urging them to endorse and support the bill. Calling it "the biggest jobs creation program in decades." Pulaski said, "The bill is extraordinary in its protection of union collective bargaining agreements, union jobs, union organizing and prevailing wages."

Many leaders of construction unions, including Laborer's Local 300 in Los Angeles and Paint, Varnish & Lacquer Makers Local 1053 in San Mateo, have notified LCPWJ of their strong support of the bill. Rodriguez said that while the state federations of California, Illinois, Arizona and Washington are on record in support of HR-1591, there is still the need to win support from every local, every central labor council in those states as well as every local union across the country.

"It will take committed trade union leadership at every level working with their communities to build a national movement to force Congress to pass this bill," he said Rodriguez said the coalition is going to inject the fight to pass this jobs bill into the upcoming 1996 elections.

"We want to force all candidates to do more than talk about jobs," he said. "Our demand will be, 'If you are for jobs, then put your name on the Martinez Jobs Bill.'" For more information call the Labor Coalition office in Los Angeles (310) 806-9928 or FAX (310) 806-4918.