Resolution passed unanimously by the Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO’s 47th Annual Convention on September 6th, 2003

Creating a Standing Committee On High Road, Pro-Union Economic Development and Tax Policies

WHEREAS, the Vermont State Labor Council AFL-CIO supports efforts to raise living standards; 

WHEREAS, the Vermont State Labor Council AFL-CIO knows the quality of life in our communities depends on the quality of our jobs and the economic vitality of our State;

WHEREAS, the Vermont State Labor Council AFL-CIO recognizes that unions give working Vermonters a voice at work, improve living standards and rights on the job, and contribute to the economic vitality of our area;

WHEREAS, anti-labor, “think tanks” like the American Legislative Exchange Council, which receives $ millions from big business to promotes anti-working family legislation, are active in the Vermont legislature;

WHEREAS, the corporate agenda seeks to undermine workmen’s compensation, promote “right-to-work” for less laws, expand deregulation, outlaw living wage ordinances and project labor agreements, privatize public sector employment, move our jobs to “union free environments” (to the South and third world countries), increase corporate welfare, and continue to shift the tax burden from corporations and the wealthy onto working families as part of a broad anti-labor strategy;

WHEREAS, we must become more proactive on economic development and tax policy instead of simply reacting to what they throw at us;

WHEREAS, labor needs to get into the economic development game because the way that game is now played hurts working families, because the public dollars now supporting “low-road” economic development are needed to pave superior “high road” alternatives, and because building those alternatives will define Vermont labor’s future and that of our communities;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO charge our President to establish a Standing Committee to collaborate with our affiliates and sympathetic policy experts to craft/advocate pro-working family, pro-union economic development and tax policies.

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Committee Chair: Traven Leyshon