Introducing… The Network to Fight for Economic Justice!

The “We Say Fight Back!” Conference was a great success! Hundreds of activists from around the country came together in Chicago this past October 3 to share their experiences, and to discuss strategies for resisting the savage cutbacks now afflicting workers, students, the poor, women, and oppressed minorities across the United States. Therefore, it is with great pride and hope for the future that we present to you here the results of the concluding plenary of that Conference.

Several important resolutions were brought up for consideration and passed by acclamation. They will posted here as they become available, so keep checking back! Most importantly, it was decided to form a national network of participating organizations for coordinating our diverse local struggles. That resolution is below.

Proposal to initiate The Network to Fight for Economic Justice

Whereas:

We are now in the midst of the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. The rich and powerful say that things are beginning to recover. There is no recovery for working people. Millions of homes are in foreclosure. Unemployment is growing. Massive cuts are taking place to the programs that benefit poor and working people, while the government tries to balance budgets on our backs. Inequality is growing, oppressed people–African-Americans, Chicanos, Latinos, and others, are the hardest hit by foreclosures, unemployment, and budget cuts. Immigrant workers are facing mass firings, raids and deportations.

Whereas:

The rich are taking the opportunity of the economic crisis to attack poor and working people and many of us are responding by fighting back. In cities around the country there are sharp struggles to stop evictions and to demand a moratorium on home foreclosures. At places like Chicago’s Republic Windows and Doors there have been intense battles in response to plant closures. From California to New York, people have taken to the streets to protest cuts to schools and programs that serve our communities.

Therefore Be It Resolved:

Just as we have come together at the We Say Fight Back! conference in Chicago, Illinois to further the resistance of working people to the economic crisis, we will put our collective muscle behind local fights for justice. Where there is a fight back, like those that have taken place at Republic Windows and SK Hand Tools to name just a few, we will use our local strengths to build regional and national campaigns to fight back.

Anyone who endorsed the conference would be welcome to join the steering committee for the network. Membership in the steering committee will not be limited to those who endorsed before the conference.

The steering committee will develop proposals and hold meetings on an as needed basis via conference call and through electronic means. Decisions will be made by a majority vote.

Organizationally the network would speak only for the network and not for it’s member organizations.

Initially we propose that the conveners of the We Say Fight Back! Conference be the conveners/coordinators of the steering committee and take responsibility for implementing the decisions of the conference.

The Steering Committee, or those it designates will take responsibility for organizing future national conferences of the Network.