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2002 Table of Contents | Public Employee Press Archives
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Latino
power on the march
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At the Somos El Futuro conference and the Puerto Rican Day parade, activists made peace in Vieques a top priority.
By ALFREDO ALVARADO
At both the April Somos El Futuro conference in Albany and the huge
Puerto Rican Day parade June 2 in New York City, Latino union activists
and elected officials united to demand that the U.S. Navy stop using
the inhabited Puerto Rican island of Vieques for target practice.
"Let's be concerned about the children who are being bombarded
by their own government," said New York State Comptroller H.
Carl McCall April 20 at a rally during the conference. DC 37 recently
endorsed him in the Sept. 10 Democratic Party primary election for
governor (see DC 37 backs
Carl McCall).
Somos el Futuro (We are the future) brought together hundreds of Latino
activists and politicians from all over the state to discuss a range
of important issues, including economic development, health insurance,
domestic violence, the Rockefeller drug laws and safety in the workplace.
The conference included a labor breakfast, where Bronx Congressman
José Serrano, Assemblyman José Rivera and New York State
Attorney General Elliot Spitzer spoke of the power of the labor movement
in politics.
Congressman Serrano told a story about a recent election night he
spent with his son, who was running for City Council. "He asked
if I thought he could win. I wasn't sure," recalled Serrano.
"Then all of a sudden a van pulls up with dozens of union volunteers.
I turned to him and told him we would win."
Santos Crespo, executive vice president of Local 372, felt that it
was appropriate that labor be honored at the Somos conference. "We
played a significant role in founding this conference, especially
Local 372," said Mr. Crespo.
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Peace in Vieques was also the rallying cry as a spirited DC 37 contingent
marched down Fifth Ave. with hundreds of thousands of proud participants
in the annual Puerto Rican Day parade. "Our message is that the
Navy has to leave," said Mr. Crespo, who was part of the enthusiastic
DC 37 group led by Latino Heritage CommitteeChair Magda DeJesus, president
of Local 1219, and Co-chair José Sierra, director of the Blue
Collar Division.
"It's not an issue of patriotism, because Puerto Ricans have
fought and died in every war for this country."
From the state capitol down to New York City's fashionable Fifth Avenue,
DC 37 members have taken the lead as labor's Latino activists show
the world that their political muscle is growing rapidly.