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March 18, 2002
| TO: |
General Executive Board |
|
Locals |
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Staff |
FROM: Bruce J. Klipple, General Secretary-Treasurer
SUBJECT: LABOR PARTY CONVENTION, JULY 25 - 28
The Second Constitutional Convention of the Labor Party is fast approaching. It will be held at the
Capitol Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., July 25 through 28. I want to encourage your participation in this event. Our union plays
a leading role in the work of the Labor Party, and we need your attendance to continue this important work.
The need for the Labor Party is more obvious than ever, although the challenges of building,
maintaining, and expanding the organization are greater than ever. Working people here in the United States continue to suffer under
a two-party political "system" that increasingly joins hands with big business to assault ordinary people. Neither major
party will confront the growing menace of runaway corporate greed and power. Neither party has any program to address the desperate
need for a national health care system. Both parties support the destruction of good manufacturing jobs with failed "free
trade" policies. Both parties vote for massive tax cuts for the big business and the rich, sending growing numbers of
hard-working public sector workers to the unemployment line. We need to do better than this.
Enclosed is the call to the Labor Party Convention. The call is also found on page 6 of the enclosed
Labor Party Press, the official newspaper of the Labor Party. Please take a moment to review this important document; it contains
the specific rules and deadlines for delegates who plan on attending. Be aware that individuals, districts, and locals will need to
renew their Labor Party memberships if they plan on attending the Convention. An affiliation form is enclosed. Most locals will have
received renewal information directly from the Labor Party. These materials can also be used. There is also a $75 delegate
registration fee, as was the case in prior Labor Party conventions. Registration for delegate status is accomplished by meeting the
membership or renewal guidelines, then submitting a letter directly to the Labor Party on your union letterhead. Details of this
process are spelled out in detail in the Call under "Registration Information."
The delegate registration deadline - and the deadline to renew or join - is June 28, 2002.
The national union has reserved a block of rooms at the hotel, but they are expected to go quickly. Please
- do not delay your decision making process. To reserve your room(s) as part of the UE block, please contact
me at the national office at (412)471-8919. For questions regarding travel into Washington, D.C., please contact the UE Washington
Office at (703)684-3123.
In solidarity,
Bruce J. Klipple
General Secretary-Treasurer |
