US Social Forum, days 2 and 3

The last two days have been a whirlwind of excitement for the VWC delegation. Delegation members have attended workshops on international labor solidarity; creating deep and lasting coalitions to defend, expand and improve the public sector; building the Student Labor Action Project; fighting for democratic schools; urban issues of housing and land use; ending the war and bringing the troops home; and many, many more.

VWC members are also presenting at workshops. VWC Director James Haslam reported on the Workers' Center's "non-majority unionism" work over the years with the Alliance @ IBM, the Montpelier Downtown Workers' Union and the United Staff at UVM in a workshop on non-majority unionism that also included security guards from Philadelphia and UE members from North Carolina. Rebecca Smith, president of the Burlington Education Association, and Jessica Morley, Chief Steward at UE Local 203 at City Market, reported about their experiences at the VWC Solidarity School this past winter in a workshop organized by the national Jobs with Justice about leadership development and education.

We're also making valuable connections. Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) member and VA workers Adrienne Kinne is not only getting to spend time with other IVAW members from around the country, but she's also connecting with other VA workers and members of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) to talk about organizing and mobilizing for adequate funding for the Veteran's Administration. We've made connections with grassroots community organizations in New York City like Community Voices Heard, and discussed bringing some of our members down to NYC to learn about their work with low-income working people.

Tonight some of us will be participating in an "anti-free-trade-agreement" signing ceremony: today, President Bush is holding a formal signing ceremony with the president of South Korea for the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KorUs FTA); meanwhile, labor, farmer and community groups from the U.S. will holding a ceremony signing a pledge of solidarity to fight against the FTA and for workers' rights and sustainable agriculture with Korean social movement activists at the USSF.

Look for more updates and report-backs as we return...