A few of us around Willamette Reds have done serious work on Armenian issues over the years. The Armenian diaspora in the US often sees itself as still part of Armenia, so "Armenian issues" can mean many things--from trying to correct the record on the Ottoman/Turkish Genocide or getting US military aid to Georgia and Turkey reduced to getting recognition for an Armenian political prisoner here in the US or full rights and recognition for Armenians elsewhere. Obama drew Armenian support with pledges he made on correcting the record on the Ottoman/Turkish Genocide and then backtracked--the first sign for me that the new President was in trouble and would not live up to his promises without great pressure from us. Armenians are generally pretty angry about this betrayal.
Well, we have something to celebrate. David Hatchigian, a highly skilled electrician working out of Philadelphia's IBEW Local 98, recently won a four year fight with an employer. A management safety representative attempted to frame him on trumped-up charges of safety violations. David had an excellent work record. The safety rep referred to David as "you Arab" and showed real racism. David got fired, but Local 98 refused to process his grievance. David then got his own attorney, filed suit in federal court and stuck to it. The company folded in the face of the lawsuit and settled. If racism was involved in Local 98's decision to not pursue the grievance, I hope David takes action against the Local as well.
This is a case where class, race and unionism intersect. We're happy for David. We need to fight racism wherever it is. A strong and democratic labor movement could connect the dots and move everyone forward.
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Local 98 is the shame of the Philadelphia labor movement. They have been known for racism, and they also supported Rick Santorum for Senate in 2006!
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