Michael Slager's violent past comes to light.

Richard Mellor
Afscme Local 444, retired

South Carolina's police gangs.

Anyone not asleep is aware of the murder of Scott Walker by the South Carolina cop Michael Slager.  Slager is not a lone wolf. It is painfully obvious that the police/domestic security apparatus in the US has an exceptional number of murderers and fascist elements in its ranks.

After the Walker murder it was revealed that other SC cops including Slager had used excessive force against a black motorist they puled over.  A video of that event has now surfaced and Slager tased this man, Julius Garnett Wilson as he lay down on the pavement with his hand palm down.

Now this video of that event has surfaced.  I can't help but bring this to the readers attention once more and that is the complete cowardice of the heads of organized labor at the highest levels.  Their abrogation of their responsibility to defend the rights of working class people, organized or not. No sense of duty. 

Not a word out of them about these developments.  No mass rallies, no public statements, no suggestion about what must be done. They are truly a cowardly bunch of class collaborators.  Of course, they don't defend their own dues paying members as long as the money keeps coming in that's good enough. 

The dues payers, the rank and file of organized labor can and must bring this to their locals and force a debate not only on these racist murders but on the generalized assault on all workers and our families and link these issues up with all issues affecting working class people, education, housing, transportation, jobs the environment etc. In this area although not a union member anymore I would help any of my former co-workers and friends draw up resolutions and/or statements to introduce at their locals and direct at the appropriate agencies.

One thing I would add is that this is not something new.  The times have changed to the point where what they have been doing for a long time is not so easy to do in private anymore.  Here is a piece about this issue.