Trade union opponents of the US "war on terrorism" have had success garnering support within the labour movement. Here is a model motion Green Left Weekly readers should move in their union:
The [name of union] shares the horror of people around the world and condemns the terror attacks in the US on September 11.
The killing of almost 7000 people, including many trade unionists, was a criminal act of murder. The workers who died in the attack on the World Trade Centre towers are not responsible for US government policy, including successive US governments' policy of sponsoring terrorist acts against civilians in other countries.
However, the horror of the September 11 events in no way justifies the military retaliation being carried out by the US and its allies, including Australia. The attempt to use this tragedy to engage in military actions will only lead to more carnage and senseless loss of life, and will not end the threat of terrorism.
We reject the idea that whole nations should be punished for the actions of a few. Bombing raids and military strikes will only fuel an endless cycle of revenge which can only bring the deaths of more innocent civilians around the world.
For this reason we oppose any Australian military involvement in US plans for military retaliation and call on the Australian government to immediately withdraw all military assistance.
As unionists, we declare our opposition to any attempts to use this tragedy to whip up anti-Arab, anti-Muslim and anti-refugee sentiment or acts of violence. Such racism pits worker against worker in the workplace, making it harder for workers to unite in defence of their interests and weakening the trade union movement.
We also declare our opposition to any attempt by the Australian government to imitate the US government and use the tragedy as an excuse to impose restrictions on democratic rights and civil liberties.
We pledge our support for anti-war protests and will provide financial and other assistance to assure the success of these protests.