Resolution on Military Coup in Honduras

[The following resolution was adopted at the AFL-CIO national convention in Pittsburgh, Penn., on Sept. 17, 2009.]

RESOLUTION 40
Resolution on Military Coup in Honduras

Submitted by California Labor Federation
Amended by the International Labor Committee
WHEREAS, the AFL-CIO has "expressed
solidarity with the three union federations of
Honduras -- the Unitary Central of Honduran
Workers (CUTH), the Confederation of Honduran
Workers (CTH) and the General Workers Central
(CGT) and with the Trade Union Confederation
of the Americas (TUCA), representing more
than 45 million workers of this hemisphere, in
condemning the military coup that resulted in the
illegal ouster of democratically elected President
Manuel Zelaya"; and

WHEREAS, the AFL-CIO has "denounced the coup
as an unconscionable attack on the fundamental
rights and liberties of the Honduran people in
flagrant violation of the most basic democratic
principles and of the rule of law, and has called
upon the U.S. government and the international
community, particularly the Organization of
American States and the United Nations, not only
to condemn the coup and withhold recognition of
the current government, but to make every effort
to help achieve restitution of constitutional order
and reinstatement of the democratically elected
president"; and

WHEREAS, in the wake of the coup, trade
unionists, human rights activists, journalists,
community leaders and ordinary citizens have
suffered grave violations of their human and
civil rights, with at least eight people killed
and hundreds injured or detained during mass
protests against the coup and against the
dissolution of democracy in Honduras; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. government has suspended
military and direct government aid to the current
government in Honduras in an effort to shore up
its demands that President Zelaya be returned to
office, but has refrained from issuing additional
economic sanctions; and

WHEREAS, the militarily backed de facto
government, led by anti-union political and
economic elites with Roberto Micheletti at
the head, so far has resisted international calls
for the restitution of constitutional order, has
refused to honor the San Jose accord on national
reconciliation and has continued to repress those
who speak out against the coup; and

WHEREAS, the California Labor Federation
stands in solidarity with the independence, self-determination
and human rights of the country
of Honduras, whose citizens have democratically
elected President Manuel Zelaya, who was
deposed by an illegal military coup d'etat; and

WHEREAS, California and other parts of the
United States have Honduran and Latin American
communities that include hard-working and taxpaying
citizens, residents and undocumented
workers who contribute to our economy and
nation; and

WHEREAS, the California Labor Federation
recognizes that political unrest that destabilizes
nations and countries neighboring the United
States creates conditions that harm said nations
and countries and has historically created and
continues to create mass immigration to alleviate
human needs;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the California
Labor Federation urges the AFL-CIO to encourage
the Obama administration to continue to withhold
state-to-state military aid to the Micheletti
government. Moreover, the U.S government
should remove its current ambassador to Honduras,
revoke the U.S. visas for all of those responsible
for the coup, seek to legally freeze all accounts
and assets of those individuals and organizations
responsible for the coup and seriously consider
suspending trade with Honduras until President
Manuel Zelaya is restored to his democratically
elected office and human and trade union rights
have been restored; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the California
Labor Federation urges the AFL-CIO to support
an Obama administration policy that discourages
predatory interests from politically and
economically destabilizing developing countries
and prevents adverse harm to our sisters and
brothers in Latin America; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, the California Labor
Federation shall make this resolution public and
forward it to the national AFL-CIO Convention for
adoption.