AFL-CIO POSITION SUPPORTING THE DRAFT

A strong America and peace throughout the world are based in large part on U.S. military readiness to respond to foreign intimidation or aggression. Current defense manpower capabilities would not be sufficient in the event of a national emergency.

President Carter has asked the Congress to appropriate the funds necessary to permit the Selective Service to process the names and addresses of young people. While not calling for the induction of these registrants, the President has pointed out that simple registration would save valuable processing time in the event a national emergency necessitated a draft.

We support a program of registration as an appropriate response that will demonstrate this nation's commitment to defense preparedness. Such a program should provide for an effective mechanism for identification of individuals in a fair and equitable manner, and the reinstitution of a Selective Service System.

We support the registration of women as consistent with our belief in equal rights.

These issues are of such gravity that the AFT endorses the AFL-CIO studies which have been undertaken by the special Subcommittee on Defense Manpower Needs. This subcommittee will make recommendations on the following issues:

• The inequities created by systems of classifications and deferments which place an unfair burden of military service on certain economic and social classes.

• Equitable procedures to minimize individual hardships and assure the right of individual appeal.

• Appropriate inducements to encourage reenlistments of trained personnel and to restore the ready reserve to appropriate levels.

• Remedies to correct discrimination against women in the armed services in pay, promotion and assignments and the question of appropriate assignments of women in the military.

• Concerns created by the all volunteer force and proposals to establish alternative systems such as national service.

The AFT, in conjunction with the American labor movement must be prepared to fully participate in the national debate on defense policy issues and to express the concerns of students, young workers, women workers and working parents.