How will unions be playing ball during the next election and budgeting cycle? If the resolutions recently adopted by the Washington State Labor Council are any indication, somewhere between hard and very hard.

At the WSLC’s annual convention held August 4th-6th in Seatac, Wash., the “voice of labor” in the state of Washington took a sharp left in terms of its tone, reverting to wobbly lingo that amount to flying the union battle flag.

Near the top of a list of 31 resolutions adopted by the council, is Resolution #2 “No Justice, No Work.” The passage begins:

“WHEREAS, there is a worldwide attack on the working class; and

WHEREAS, corporatists and greedy capitalists, aided by lawmakers and courts, continue their assault on those who labor or who want labor; and”

A global conspiracy against the working class by “corporatists and greedy capitalists” (read as bourgeoisie) and aided by the ruling class? Maybe the sudden appearance of our never-present glowing sun overhead has fried my optical nerve, but I can’t help seeing red. The resolution continues:

“RESOLVED, that as advocates for the working class, organized labor must be prepared and willing to announce that our endurance has reached its limits and that we are now prepared to utilize the most extensive economic strength at our disposal in order to win social and economic justice; and, be it finally

RESOLVED, that lawmakers in Olympia, in local governments, in statehouses across our land, and in our nation’s capitol must be put on notice that commerce will be subject to ethical and moral consideration on their part, and if necessary, organized labor will initiate the withholding of its labor to defend these considerations – no justice, no work!”

Presumably, as Gov. Christine Gregoire spins up the budget lathe to trim more from state spending to account for falling revenues, this means that unions could be her largest obstacle. It also means that candidates accepting contributions from the WSLC may be forced to disavow the labor organization’s increasingly radicalized war on business.

Though not officially a candidate to run for Congress in Washington State, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) was spoke twice to the WSLC convention and reportedly enjoyed an enthusiastic response from those in the conventional hall.

Kucinich spoke in strong support of the National Labor Relations Board taking legal action to punish the Boeing Company for locating its second 787 Dreamliner manufacturing plant in South Carolina, a position also taken by Sen. Patty Murray.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, who is up for re-election next year, also addressed the convention, as did Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Jay Inslee, the man some feel Kucinich hopes to succeed in Washington State’s congressional delegation. Panel appearances by State Rep. Roger Goodman and State Sen. Marko Liias rounded out a complete list of Democrats – potential or declared – in the 1st Congressional District race.

Video of the convention and speeches is available on the WSLC website courtesy of TVW.

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[photo credit: flickr]