kennyyates's blog

Who is Sabocat?

Submitted by kennyyates on Sat, 03/13/2010 - 8:42am.

For May Day in Richmond, we made this poster to supplement another poster portraying workers, students and community leaders as cat people.  We wanted to shed some historical light on the image so people understand the connotations behind the "black cat".  Feel free to spread this poster around.  It's 11x17 and print ready.  Click the image for the .pdf

http://maydayrva.org

 

The image of a black cat arching it’s back, sometimes referred to as ’sabocat’, was utilized by organized labor to represent the prospect of sabotage.  Ralph Chaplin, a labor activist and anarcho-syndicalist, created the image while working with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).  Chaplin intended for employees to place the image around their respective workplaces as a symbolic threat to unethical and unrepentant bosses.

May Day Richmond, VA 2010!

Submitted by kennyyates on Mon, 03/08/2010 - 10:29am.

There will be an IWW workshop at this years May Day in Richmond, Va.  Fellow Workers, from Virginia, are encouraged to attend, we will be discussinga brief history of the Industrial Workers of the World, solidarity organizing, and why Richmond needs a chapter of the IWW.   

Visit [ http://maydayrva.org ]

 

 

Letter of Solidarity to ATU Local 1220

Submitted by kennyyates on Fri, 01/22/2010 - 6:16pm.
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1220
2302 West Main Street
Richmond, VA
http://atu.org
http://www.ridegrtc.com/
 
 
Fellow Workers,
 
On behalf of the organizers of Richmond May Day 2010, an event geared at celebrating the history of working class struggle, we'd like to stand in solidarity with the union members of ATU Local 1220.  Among these organizers are individuals, students, union members, community activists, and above all, workers and riders of GRTC.

We've been made aware by the media that there is potential for a strike by GRTC union members of ATU Local 1220.  We'd like to know how we can show our solidarity.  We fear that the 40,000 daily passengers of GRTC do not understand the gravity of the situation, and likely view the strike as an inconvenience.  Local media has been breeding fear of job loss for those who depend on the transportation to move around the city. We'd like to help alleviate some of that sentiment.

Do Not Balance the Budget on the Backs of the People!

Submitted by kennyyates on Tue, 01/12/2010 - 7:59pm.

Okay folks, I'm involved with Richmond Jobs With Justice and the Virginia People's Assembly, as well as May Day.  Comrade Breanne with Richmond Jobs With Justice and Vice President of Commincation Workers of American at Verizon in Richmond, VA was invited by the Teamsters to attend, on their behalf, a meeting with incoming Republican Governor Mcdonnell's administation about several pieces of legislation they intend to present at the General Assembly.  Abolishing the corporate tax was one of them... this has not been announced to the public as of 1/12/2010 by his administration. Here is a little informal press release we started spreading around...help us get the word out. 

 

Breanne Armbrust of the Virginia People's Assembly, Richmond Jobs With Justice & organizer with Richmond's May Day is being interviewed by Richmond's NBC 12 News Correspondent Laura Geller tonight, January 12th, about McDonnells yet-to-be publicly announced legislation to abolish the corporate tax completely. Be sure to see what she discovered! It's absolutely rediculous.

A message of solidarity to the Virginia People's Assembly from Kenneth Yates on behalf of May Day 2010

Submitted by kennyyates on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 1:13pm.
A message of solidarity to the Virginia People's Assembly from Kenneth Yates on behalf of May Day 2010

The left has a choice, we can either continue on the same path of intellectual obscurity, drowning in our theory until idealism turns to apathy, or we can put this theory to work, re-join American culture, and earn perspective like those in a more radical time...
Through direct action and participation!

It's important however, that we steer clear from the sectarian nature of political parties, and focus directly on the organization of the working class. 

As it stands, the working people barely exist in the minds of bureaucrats, and their policies are proof of this. Representatives sit comfortably in the pockets of capitalists, and together they have successfully eliminated the working people as a threat.

It's time we recognize that they are not our representatives at all.  They are our opponents. 

Response to 'Broad Street Revivalists' - Style Weekly Richmond, Virginia

Submitted by kennyyates on Thu, 01/07/2010 - 6:24pm.
Article in Style Weekly, 1/6/2010 Read the entire article here: [ Broad Street Revivalists - Scott Bass ]

May Day 2010 pre-first meeting Agenda

Submitted by kennyyates on Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:54pm.

Last year we started organizing in February, and had four formal meetings and about eight puppet building workshops and countless informal meetings between organizers.  We were able to  pull close to 300 people into the streets with only posters, handbills, facebook, and word of mouth.  We marched without a permit so we chose not to promote it in corporate media, so as to not draw the attention of the police and certain figures surrounding the First Friday art walk which we chose for our route because we knew there would be an audience. 

Pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennida/sets/72157617617062154/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/judasprime/sets/72157617566015237/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yellowbuzz/sets/72157617568362649/

 

 

Meeting Agenda:

A Case For Direct Action!

Submitted by kennyyates on Tue, 12/08/2009 - 3:09pm.
By: Kenneth Yates (Industrial Workers of the World, Richmond Jobs With Justice)

Recently I watched a documentary called 'The Garden'.  It was about a community of latino farmers in South Central, Los Angeles who found themselves organizing to save a community garden, then the largest urban garden in the United States, from being taken from them.

The farmers cultivate the land into a lush and diverse self sustaining resource, not only for themselves, but also the community around them. 

The land was given (later redefined as a "loan") to the community by the city in order to help soften the blow following the destructive 1992 Los Angeles riots. Later it would be sold from beneath them and back to the developer who in 1986 the city acquired it from through imminent domain.

The farmers organized, and were able to win a few small battles prolonging the life of their garden, but in the end lost to the greed of a uncompromising capitalist.

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