From the Independent Media Center at Seattle
6:35pm Wed Dec 1 '99
Union members harrassed over "No WTO" political materials ban at Seattle airport and ports
by Robert Dhondrup
I was one of the 50,000 people who came into Seattle yesterday on the first day of WTO as part of the AFL-CIO march. Although, I had come with no more expectations other than a stroll through downtown Seattle since our labor movement has been relatively moderate on WTO, I have changed. Starting from the Stadium, everything was pretty much as I expected. Marching with the United Auto Workers (UAW) group, I like everybody else was laughing and joking and glad to make my mark as a voice of concern over WTO.
We could not finish the entire march as we had to board the buses to goto a restaurant to get lunch at around 3 PM. As we arrived at the Radisson, I walked into the bar and heard from the waiters, "Boy, you guys are lucky to be here. There's a riot downtown!"
"What riot?," was about the first thing I thought of. Then we looked at the TV in the corner and saw what was happening. I was thinking that this was probably not good for labor in general and unsure what was occuring. I looked through the crowds on the TV and did not see many international union signs or labor folks other than a few UA (plumbers union members) with hardhats (note: Bless them, our plumbers are some of the most progressive activists in the world).
Then I heard from a late UAW member walking in that labor had continued with the march from that point and had already started dispersing but a whole lot of our brothers and sisters were having a heck of a time finding a taxi (they were on strike that day) or bus. So like tens of other labor brothers and sisters, about 30 of us with the UAW contingent sat glued to the TV watching what happened.
In short let me say, although we could not be there in body, we saw non-violent protesters gassed and beated. We saw people non-violently protest and tortured (a scene on TV with a protester with both arms in the air and waving peace signs - while the police repeatbly maced and pepper sprayed him - words could not express that torture by police like that could happen in the streets of Seattle).
At first, I thought I was miles away from it by this time. The Constitution and all it stands for became a sacrifice for the trade gods in the Streets of Seattle. It wasn't about some vague notion of democracy in Burma or China anymore, it was about losing democracy here at home, in the streets of Seattle and the US.
This did not hit home until I got the airport. As I got my WTO mementos together to bring back to my office in Oakland, I attempted to put a ILWU "Stop Corporate Globalism" picket sign through the metal detectors on my way to my flight. Some airport supervisor all the sudden gets in my face and screams, "NO WTO!" I think yea, NO WTO, and nod thinking we got an ally in the ranks.
What I found out was that there is a written policy at the airport that explicitly prohibits any NO WTO material there. When an employee tried to show me the book of rules they have at the gate, she was yelled at by supervisors and the port police. But, yea it is written and logged.
I told the supervisor, that I would take the signs, roll them up, and place them INSIDE my bags. She was adament, NO WTO, She said it was written policy that NO WTO materials was allowed at all in the area, even inside bags. A brother from another union had an AFL-CIO WTO sign, rolled up behind me, and when he tried to get the sign, with no visible language on the outside through, was stopped as well. We were told to "check it in."
That is when we started our "Protest in Seattle." We sure couldn't top what was happening downtown, but me and the brother, started screaming about the US Constitution, Free Speech, our right to carry political literature, and all those other nice things that people usually take for granted. The supervisor, a little dictator in her world, called the port cops.
It was about five minutes later and with about 100 people starting to be backed up behind us, that no less than about a dozen port security show up. We had no recourse but stand our ground on the basic principles of the US Constitution. It was only when he threatened arrest that we had to relent somewhat (and Alaska Airline employees begging to check in the stuff to avoid this embarrassing situtation). Eventually, the policeman in charge even said to us that he saw the rule on questionable grounds but that it was written policy and he was forced to enforce it.
I immediately though went off and tried to call the ACLU (they were not in) and left message with the Civil Rights Dept. at the AFL-CIO in DC. We cannot let these violations continue to occur.
Through these smaller events in Seattle at WTO, I now realize that our rights and democratic principles are at risk. How far will we go sacrificing our democracy and Constitutional values for corporations and global trade? I saw people losing their rights to protest and speak out. I saw people tortured. I am watching a police state happen in downtown Seattle. And, I lost my right to even carry political materials in the airport. What next? The right to carry a union sign or start a picket line - it ain't too crazy since civil rights and union rights are already under seige from corporate globalism.
As a union member and political staffer at a Central Labor Council in Oakland (132 unions and 70,000 affiliated members), I thought I would be more attuned what was happening around WTO before I left. I really didn't know until this morning after the march, protests, etc. I came to march and instead I learned some valuable lessons on the realities at risk with global trade which for a twenty-something like me, I will carry on in my long career in the labor movement.
Robert Dhondrup
(these views are my own and not the
position of the AFL-CIO or my CLC)
Political Coordinator
Alameda County Central Labor Council
AFL-CIO
Oakland, CA.