BY ANDREW POLLACK Sept. 17 marked one year of the Occupy movement, initiated by and drawing the bulk of its activists from what they themselves describe as a “precariat.” That is, a part of the workforce without jobs or in unstable, low-paid jobs with few or no benefits or protection. In this the Occupiers … Continue reading Shorter workweek with no loss of pay!
Tag: Occupy Wall St
NY bosses lock out 8500 energy workers
On July 1, Consolidated Edison (Con Ed) of New York City, one of the nation’s top energy providers, cut off contract negotiations by locking out 8500 members of the Utility Workers United of America Local 1-2 (UWUA). The lockout was not a strike, but a one-sided refusal by Con Ed bosses to bargain.
Presidential campaign loot
By MARTY GOODMAN“Anybody who wants to be an ambassador must at least give $250,000.” — Richard Nixon’s price check to his Chief of Staff on campaign donations.This year’s U.S. presidential campaign fundraising is expected to double the record-breaking $1 billion presidential campaign haul of 2008. Everything has its price under capitalism, including democracy. The campaign … Continue reading Presidential campaign loot
Growing signs of new economic downturn
By ANDREW POLLACK Signs of a renewed, coordinated global economic downturn have grown in the last few months. Of course, given the inherent anarchy of the capitalist system, the “coordination” is more in the nature of a self-reinforcing downward spiral, as each sector drags the others down with it. One sees the spiral right away … Continue reading Growing signs of new economic downturn
NY protest against ‘stop & frisk’
<!--[if !mso]><![endif]--> On Father’s Day, June 17, several thousand marched behind a banner demanding that the New York City police “End Stop and Frisk” and “End Racial Profiling.” Said NAACP President Ben Jealous, a central march organizer: “Stop and frisk is the most massive local racial profiling program in the country.” The ethnically diverse rally … Continue reading NY protest against ‘stop & frisk’
Big May Day Turnout in New York City
NEW YORK—May 1 was a day of celebration, rage, and solidarity. Taking to the streets for International Worker’s Day were some 10,000 to 20,000 mostly working-class New Yorkers. Dozens of May Day actions culminated in a big rally and march from Union Square in lower Manhattan. The march went south on Broadway to Wall Street, … Continue reading Big May Day Turnout in New York City
We’ll demand our right to protest within sight of the NATO Summit
Below are introductory remarks to the March 23-25 UNAC conference by UNAC co-cordinator Marilyn Levin.When I started preparing for this talk, I thought back to July 2010, when UNAC began, and where we are today. It is astounding how much has changed over the past year and a half, although many of the challenges we face … Continue reading We’ll demand our right to protest within sight of the NATO Summit
Broad coalition responds to NYPD spying
NEW YORK—After months of revelations by the Associated Press of spying by the New York Police Department (NYPD) on the Muslim community here and throughout the Northeast, the AP recently exposed surveillance by the N.Y. cops on racial justice, antiwar, labor, anti-repression and other movements as far afield as New Orleans.The revelations have broadened a … Continue reading Broad coalition responds to NYPD spying
Stopping Home Foreclosures in the Twin Ports
Frederick Douglas once said that “Power concedes nothing without a demand.” The validity of this statement was powerfully demonstrated by Project Save Our Home's recent, successful campaign to save the Dunbar's family home from foreclosure. Project Save Our Homes is an activist group that was born from the Occupy Wall Street movement back in November of … Continue reading Stopping Home Foreclosures in the Twin Ports
Momentum builds for May 19 protest against NATO /G8
On March 23-25, hundreds of antiwar and international solidarity activists, students, and Occupiers are coming together in Stamford, Conn., for the United National Antiwar Coalition conference. A major task of the UNAC conference will be to build national support for the May 19 protest against the NATO/G8 summit convening in Chicago. Leaders of every social struggle … Continue reading Momentum builds for May 19 protest against NATO /G8
Activists denounce restrictions on Chicago G8/NATO protests
On Jan. 25, the Vancouver culture jammers known as Adbusters brought new attention to the need to protest the NATO/G8 summit occurring in Chicago from May 19-21. Adbusters played a large role in building the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York last fall and their call is expected to put the NATO/G8 summit meetings … Continue reading Activists denounce restrictions on Chicago G8/NATO protests
ILWU Local 21 Victory!
Special Note: As we go to press, the EGT conglomerate has formally recognized ILWU Local 21 as the bargaining representative for all workers at its Longview, Wash., terminal and on all vessels that load grain from that facility. Contract negotiations are underway and expected to be concluded on union-favorable terms in the next few days. Until … Continue reading ILWU Local 21 Victory!
Egyptians mark anniversary of uprising with new protests
In early February, a number of protesters were killed and over 1500 injured, as Egyptian police attacked demonstrations that had been called to express the mounting public anger over the deaths of at least 74 people at a soccer match in Port Said.The mainstream media at first blamed the Feb. 1 soccer stadium fight on … Continue reading Egyptians mark anniversary of uprising with new protests
What sort of third party do we need?
The past year or so has seen a dramatic shift in the U.S. class struggle. The mass movement in Wisconsin against the union busting agenda of tea-party Republican Scott Walker, the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement that spread across the U.S., and the ILWU fight to protect their union rights at Longview, WA, and elsewhere … Continue reading What sort of third party do we need?
Occupy debates the call for a May 1 general strike
At least 15 sites of the Occupy Movement have endorsed a call for actions on May Day 2012, including a general strike, initiated by Occupy LA (OLA). The debate within New York’s Occupy Wall Street (OWS) over whether to endorse the call is illustrative of the ideological differences within the movement, as well as the … Continue reading Occupy debates the call for a May 1 general strike
NY Transit Workers Under Attack
NEW YORK—The contract between Transport Workers Union Local 100, representing 34,000 subway and bus workers, and the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), expired at midnight Jan. 15. The MTA is demanding a contract with three years of no raises, increased healthcare costs and other big concessions.The MTA’s demands are an attempt to make working people … Continue reading NY Transit Workers Under Attack
A World Without Wall Street
The title of this note is from today's "It's the Economy" feature by Adam Davidson in the print version of the Sunday Times magazine.In the online version that title is replaced with the less provocative "What Does Wall Street Do For You?" --a title which is actually more accurate, as Davidson's main contention is that … Continue reading A World Without Wall Street
Occupy, longshore workers challenge anti-union bosses
Time Magazine designated its “Person of the Year 2011” as “The Protestor.” To make clear that its reference was to what the editors considered the most important development of the year, Time added to its cover-page headline: “From the Arab Spring to Athens, from Occupy Wall Street to Moscow.” Its feature story began, “No one … Continue reading Occupy, longshore workers challenge anti-union bosses
After ‘withdrawal’ from Iraq, U.S. seeks new battlegrounds
On Jan. 5, President Obama made a major speech about a coming shift in U.S. military strategy, a strategy that has been described as more “lean” and more “mean.” The fact that the speech coincided with the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq led mainstream commentators to characterize the change primarily as a move … Continue reading After ‘withdrawal’ from Iraq, U.S. seeks new battlegrounds
Following Teamster election victory, Hoffa seeks limits on members’ rights
Coming fresh off his reelection victory, Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa Jr. is seeking to take away the right of rank-and-file members to elect their international officers.Hoffa was reelected with 59% of the vote against two challengers, reform activists Sandy Pope and former Hoffa ally Fred Gegare. Despite such a large margin of victory Hoffa and other … Continue reading Following Teamster election victory, Hoffa seeks limits on members’ rights
Mumia’s Message to Occupy Wall Street
Mumia’s Message to Occupy Wall Street, as dictated while in Administrative Custody at SCI Mahanoy in Frackville, PA Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011My Friends of OWS,My message will have to be brief. But let not this brevity take from it, its strength.You are the central movement of the hour. You’re raising questions that are in the … Continue reading Mumia’s Message to Occupy Wall Street
Occupations unleash critical debate on capitalist crisis
<!--[if !mso]> <![endif]-->The Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement has proven to be the political spark that ignited the pent-up anger and frustration of millions in the United States. It has awakened broad segments of the great majority who have suffered deeply from a decades-long tidal wave of defeats inflicted by a degenerating world capitalist order … Continue reading Occupations unleash critical debate on capitalist crisis
Egyptian masses say military regime must go
The masses of Egypt in their millions have returned to the streets, determined to finish the revolution they began in January by ousting from power the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). Every day since a police attack in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Saturday, Nov. 19, thousands of youths have braved murderous police sallies … Continue reading Egyptian masses say military regime must go
Supercommittee fails, cuts coming anyway
The austerity programs being forced by bankers and the IMF on European governments had their counterpart in the U.S. in the Congressional “Supercommittee,” the bipartisan effort at meeting demands by the ruling class to cut the country’s deficits by slashing the social safety net for workers. Since the Supercommittee failed to reach consensus on a … Continue reading Supercommittee fails, cuts coming anyway
Northern Lights
The future of the Occupy movementby Barry Weisleder, the federal secretary of Socialist Action (Canada), and Canada editor of Socialist Action newspaper. TORONTO—On Nov. 23 police enforced an Ontario Superior Court order to Occupy Toronto to vacate St. James Park, a few blocks from Canada’s corporate financial hub. Occupy camps around the world are also … Continue reading Northern Lights