IAM Donates $50,000 to Tsunami Relief Effort
Report by The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)
The IAM has joined thousands of members of the labor movement worldwide and donated a total of $50,000 to aid the victims of the largest natural disaster in recent history. Donated funds will help the millions of survivors of the Dec. 26 tsunami that claimed more than 150,000 lives and devastated coastal areas of the Indian Ocean. Survivors are in desperate need of clean water, food, medical supplies and shelter.
The Canadian Territory will donate $25,000 to Oxfam Canada, a humanitarian relief organization. “We want to do our part to lessen the suffering for the people of these regions as quickly as possible,” said Dave Ritchie, General Vice President for Canada. “The fact that the Canadian government will match this contribution dollar for dollar effectively doubles our donation to $50,000, providing Oxfam with greater resources to achieve that goal.”
The other $25,000 from the IAM in the United States will be donated to the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center, which has set up a Tsunami Relief Fund to aid Solidarity Center’s offices in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand help the region's unions respond to the immediate humanitarian crisis. The Bush Administration has not made any similar effort as the Canadian government to match labor donations.
“This tragedy is beyond belief,” said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger. “I urge all of our members to join the effort to save lives and help survivors repair their devastated homes.”
Unions and individuals in the United States may donate to the Solidarity Center’s Tsunami Relief Fund with a check made payable to the Solidarity Center Education Fund. Mark the memo section “Tsunami Relief Fund” and send it to Tsunami Relief Fund, Solidarity Center, 1925 K St., N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20006-1105.
For more information on the Solidarity Center's relief fund visit
www.solidaritycenter.org.
Source Article:
IAM
