Trumpets, drums and bag pipes gave way to the TWU’s 24th Constitutional Convention, Globally United, Stronger Unions, call to order on Monday, September 23 in Las Vegas.
TWU Executive Vice President and Chair of the Constitutional Convention, Harry Lombardo, welcomed over 350 Delegates and 55 alternates from across the country representing TWU’s four divisions as they convened at the Mirage Hotel from Sept. 23-27 where they will set the next path for TWU.
Executive Vice President Lombardo spoke about the history of the TWU and stressed the stances our earliest leaders took.
“That most crucial stand by our earliest leaders against segregation, against exclusion, and for equality in the workplace has been the driving force of our union ever since,” said Lombardo. “ We have never taken the easy road; we have often taken the hard road, because is was the right road.”
That driving force can also be seen in other unions and with the theme of the convention, Globally United. Robert Crow, General Secretary of Britain’s RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transit) Workers Union, put the delegates to their feet, roaring and cheering, with his words of solidarity.
“We need to be better organized than the bosses or the bosses will be better organized than us,” said Crow as he emphasized the right workers have and the fight we all have to maintain those rights.
To maintain those rights and to be better organized is to build strength and Delegates started that initiative by passing Resolution 1: Empowering Locals. The resolution will ensure full and proper consultation of on all matters affecting Locals and Members, such as taking stances major issues before taking actions.
Other major resolutions passing with full approval were Resolution 2, Unifying the TWU: Expanding the Work of the State Conferences; Resolution 4, On Building a Fighting Organization with an amendment; Resolution 6, Uniting Service Worker Locals from Different Divisions; Resolution 9, Retirement Security Begins with Social Security; Resolution 11, Our Rights to a Safe Workplace; Resolution 14, fighting voter suppression; Resolution 19 Full Funding of Amtrak; Resolution 23 Stand up for Workers’ Rights, Amend New York’s Taylor Law; and Resolution 28, stopping the use of bankruptcy proceedings to attack workers.
The Delegates also viewed videos representing our members’ during Hurricane Sandy, their political actions and the great history of TWU.
Las Vegas’s own Local 721 President Jeff Jaegar also greeted the Delagates along with the Mayor of the city of Las Vegas, Carolyn Goodman.
You can follow this week’s Convention on Flickr, Facebook and Twitter.