October 12, 1984
PROTEST ARMY OCCUPATION OF BLACK SOUTH AFRICAN TOWNSHIPS AND KILLING OF OVER 80 BLACKS
At the September membership meeting I tried to raise a motion in support of black South African goldminers whose strikes for union recognition were being suppressed with at least eight miners killed by police. I intended to bring the same motion to the following Executive Board meeting, September 27, but – as often happens – there was no quorum, and the meeting was cancelled.
The situation in South Africa is now escalating. At least 80 blacks have been killed, and the South African army is being openly mobilized to occupy the black townships. I urge brothers to support my efforts to put the following updated motion on the floor at next Thursday’s membership meeting.
MOTION: Local 10 protests the killing of eight black South African goldminers who were recently on strike for union recognition. We protest the killing of over 80 blacks during the current mass protests against the phony elections which exclude blacks. We further protest the mobilization of the South African army to occupy black townships.
In order to dramatically express our solidarity with the mass rebellion of South African blacks we will not work the next Nedlloyd Line ship carrying South African cargo to the Bay Area. We appeal to the rest of the coast to join us in this action, as they did in our successful 1977 boycott of a Nedlloyd Line ship.
UPDATE: Local 10 Executive Board unanimously passed this motion Thursday night, October 11. Come to the membership meeting Thursday, October 18, and vote for final approval of the motion!