Press release about a labor rally held today to support South African trade unions. The press release says "We are in Chicago to send a loud and clear message to Royal Dutch /Shell - Get out of South Africa now!" said president Richard Trumka of the United Mine Workers union at a labor rally held today to support South African trade unions. The press release says Trumka was the Keynote Speaker at the rally which was sponsored by the Illinois Labor Network Against Apartheid; Trumka is co-chair of the Shell Boycott campaign; he is at the center of a broad effort within the labor movement to build ties between unions in the U.S. and South Africa; his union, the mine workers, is the sister union...
Press release about a labor rally held today to support South African trade unions. The press release says "We are in Chicago to send a loud and clear message to Royal Dutch /Shell - Get out of South Africa now!" said president Richard Trumka of the United Mine Workers union at a labor rally held today to support South African trade unions. The press release says Trumka was the Keynote Speaker at the rally which was sponsored by the Illinois Labor Network Against Apartheid; Trumka is co-chair of the Shell Boycott campaign; he is at the center of a broad effort within the labor movement to build ties between unions in the U.S. and South Africa; his union, the mine workers, is the sister union to South Africa's largest black trade union, the National Union of Mineworkers. The press release says at Saturday's rally, which was held at the clothing and textile workers union hall, 333 S. Ashland in Chicago, many unions joined together to support the call for action against the oil companies that supply fuel to South Africa; Royal Dutch /Shell, parent company of Shell Oil, is a prime target. The press release says joining Trumka on the podium were Cong. Charles Hayes, Reverend Elmer Fowler of Third Baptist Church, Prexy Nesbitt, a consultant to the Government of Mozambique, as well as union leaders Bill Stewart of the auto workers and Rosetta Daylie of AFSCME; Stewart chairs the Illinois Labor Network Against Apartheid. The press release says the Illinois Labor Network Against Apartheid is part of a growing worldwide network of unions who are taking action in solidarity with South African unions. The press release says in recent years the militant South African labor movement has moved to the forefront of opposition to apartheid; in response, the Botha government cracked down on unions and jailed thousands of union activists; strikes and stayaways have burgeoned despite restrictions and have triggered international labor support. The press release says the massive 1987 mine workers strike in South Africa instigated the formation of the Illinois Labor Network Against Apartheid by local union affiliates; the Network is chaired by Jack Parton of the United Steelworkers of America and Johnnie Jackson of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, as well as the UAW's Bill Stewart. The press release says for more information call Kathy Devine. The press release discusses AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), UAW (United Auto Workers), and the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW).
