PEP, June 2006: Hispanic Summit

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

Union leaders and elected officials attending the 19th annual “Somos El Futuro” conference in Albany took every opportunity to blast the policies of the Bush Administration.

Skyrocketing gasoline prices and legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would criminalize undocumented workers were the hot topics during the three-day conference that began on April 28. The weekend summit brought together Hispanicactivists, elected officials and union leaders from throughout the state.

“We cannot let that bill see the light of day, it is un-American,” said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of the controversial H.R. 4437 immigration bill, which was under consideration in the U.S. Senate as PEP went to press.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer also attacked the proposed legislation at the conference. “We will fight for a fair bill like the McCain-Kennedy bill which would provide a path to citizenship,” he said.

President Bush, whose approval rating continues to plunge toward record lows, came under attack for his handling of gasoline prices. “The gas prices reflect the lack of a national energy plan,” said Sen. Clinton. “Brazil has become energy independent by using alternatives such as a mix of sugar cane and gasoline.”

The conference also featured a dozen panels on topics including health care, the political status of Puerto Rico and the Taylor Law, which prohibits city and state employees from going on strike.

Santos Crespos, vice president of Dept. of Education Local 372, was a featured panelist on the subject of Puerto Rico’s political future — independence, statehood or continued commonwealth status. He was joined by Kenneth McClintock, president of the Puerto Rican Senate, and Manuel Rodriguez Orellana, of the Puerto Rican Independence Party.

“It is definitely time to move forward regarding the status issue of the island,” said Crespo at the Saturday panel. Juan Fernández, president of Amalgamated Professional Employees Local 154, participated in the panel discussion on the Taylor law.

At its traditional Saturday morning labor breakfast, the conference honored Hispanic union leaders for their contributions to the movement. Among the honorees were Eduardo Cordero, vice-president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500. “You have to wake up every morning wanting to make life better for every rank-and-file member,” said Cordero.

Joe Nazario, secretary-treasurer of SSEU Local 371, presented a labor award to Rose E. Rodriguez, director of Constituency Affairs for Sen. Clinton.

“The union movement is the only voice that working people have,” said Ida Torres, president of the Hispanic Labor Committee during her keynote speech at the breakfast meeting. “The Taylor Law needs to be fixed. Nobody is going to fix it for us. We have to fix it ourselves.” (See story, page 9.)

The annual three-day conference in Albany is sponsored by the New York State Assembly/Senate Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force and is one of the largest Hispanic conferences in the country.