Submitted by x344543 on Fri, 05/12/2006 - 9:54pm
By Dean Dempsey - Industrial Worker, June 2006
International Workers Day, 2006, was undoubtedly one of the largest May Day celebrations in U.S. history, as upward of 1.5 million people participated in day long walk-outs, strikes, and protests all across the nation. Chicago estimated 700,000 took part in their May Day action, with one-third of the city’s students refusing to attend school. Denver received at least 75,000 people, or one-sixth of the city’s population, in a rally outside the state capitol. Los Angles organizers say about one in every four of students were absent as more than one-million people who took part in May Day marches and boycotts.
Submitted by x344543 on Mon, 05/08/2006 - 2:25pm
Note: This is an official Pittsburgh GMB posting. The Branch only authorizes officially recognized news and articles to be posted under the Pittsburgh GMB banner.
Homestead, PA, -- More than one hundred members of the Industrial Workers of the World, friends of Labor, local activists, and community members celebrated International Workers’ Day in Pittsburgh, PA. The Pittsburgh IWW’s second annual celebration of workers worldwide was held on April 29th at the Bulgarian-Macedonian National Education and Cultural Center and included a midnight march to the historic Homestead Strikers’ Monument.
Members of the Pittsburgh IWW, which was also celebrating the fourth anniversary of its chartering on May Day 2002, coordinated the evening’s events which included various musical acts, labor skits, poetry and spoken word performances, and speak outs by local union members and activists. In addition to the IWW, members belonging of the Teamsters, Steelworkers, and Writers Guild were present, as were representatives of local activist groups such as the Thomas Merton Center, the anti-war Pittsburgh Organizing Group, Pittsburgh Friends of Immigrants, and the Big Idea Bookstore. Members of the of the Pittsburgh Anti-Sweatshop Community Alliance, including IWW member and PASCA co-founder Ken Miller, were also on hand and spoke of this summer’s activities around the 2006 All-Star Game to raise awareness of major league baseball’s connection to global apparel sweatshops.
Submitted by x344543 on Fri, 05/05/2006 - 4:20pm
A group of Tracy restaurant workers were fired this week after they failed to show up for work to protest against tougher immigration laws.
Fernando Martinez, a kitchen supervisor at Chevy’s Fresh Mex restaurant near West Valley Mall, said four others at the popular Mexican restaurant also have left their jobs after eight of their co-workers were dismissed.
“No one’s going to stay knowing that the whole team got fired,” he said.
Martinez, who said he was still employed at Chevy’s as of Wednesday, spoke on behalf of his co-workers, who risked their jobs when they went to Stockton on Monday to protest proposed changes in national immigration law.
The people who were fired, including cooks — prep cooks and dishwashers — said through an interpreter that they are all legal residents and had asked for the day off so they could join the protest in Stockton that drew an estimated 10,000 people.
Submitted by x344543 on Tue, 04/25/2006 - 8:39pm
Building off the massive turnout at the April 10th immigrant rights rally in Madison, the Madison General Membership Branch of the IWW will be supporting the call for a General Strike call by the Latino/a community.
Madison IWW members will be working towards turning out as many folks as they can for the convergence on the State Capitol, to be held at 12:00 noon, May 1st. To facilitate this, the branch will be encouraging all local IWW jobshops to close their doors on that day. Two collectivly owned businesses with IWW members, the Madison Infoshop and Two Degrees Coffeshop, have already indicated their support.
The Madison IWW will be urging other workers to call in sick, take a personal day, or whatever, so that "business/terrorism as usual" does not continue. They are hoping to have a visable presence in the May 1st march and rally and have already printed General Strike posters, as well as a flyer with the May Day resolution of the IWW General Executive Board in Spanish and English. Their overaching theme will be: "No Borders, No States."
Submitted by x344543 on Thu, 04/13/2006 - 3:10pm
Disclaimer - This campiagn is unofficial; it is posted here in solidarity with the organizers.
May 1, 2006 - All U.S. Ports and Rails; The Community, Truck Drivers, and Students United!
“A Day Without Immigrants”
The March 25 Coalition has made a call for a GENERAL STRIKE for the entire nation to protest against HR 4437 and to show the power if the immigrant community. Los Angeles truck drivers will shut down and are asking for the solidarity of ALL truck drivers across the country. Amnesty for all immigrants!
The right to form labor unions!
An immediate SALARY increase of 25%
The Community and Students have spoken. Now it is our turn. WE have to show what we are worth and demand fair incomes. WE have to begin an era of strikes until the Ports and Rails enter into collective bargaining agreements with us. Until then, we must continue to form collectives at every company and support each other at the terminal, port and national levels. We ask all truck drivers to meet at the ports, rails, truck stops, and usual gathering locations.
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