News - All Departments and Unions

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Urgent Solidarity to the CNT-AIT strike against Mercadona!

Posted Thu, 04/13/2006 - 6:08am by x344543

Fellow Workers,

Kindly find below a urgent announcement of the IWA secretariat in Oslo regarding the strugle beetween CNT workers and Mercadona company in Spain.

They need our solidarity - An Injury to one is an insury to all!!!

Argyris Argyriadis

IWW GREECE

iwwgreece@yahoo.gr

From the IWA-Secretariat, Oslo

Dear Sections and Friends!

The CNTE has conflicts in various places in Spain against the firm Mercadona, and now in Barcelona the CNT-AIT has a strike at the "el Centro Logistico de Mercadona en Sant Sadorni d`Anoia". Measures of security, three union delegates’ readmission, and the ceasing of labor pursuit are the reasons of the strike!

Alternative Libertaire statement on the CPE victory - "The government is defeated: the struggle goes on!"

Posted Tue, 04/11/2006 - 11:52pm by x344543

On Monday morning, the government decided to "replace" the CPE [Contract of First Employment]. It has been defeated, we must continue the mobilization, above all in order to achieve the repeal of the so-called "law of equal opportunities" and of the CNE [Contract of New Employment]. The government can talk about "replacing" if it so chooses, what matters is that the CPE has been withdrawn.

The "measures to help young people gain access to jobs" that will replace the CPE are nothing more than a compilation of already-existing measures, which give tax breaks to employers but which do not directly deal with the question of workers' rights. This is a historic victory. It is a long time since a government has had to bow to a social movement and proves that even the most seemingly inflexible governments can give in under the threat of largescale social conflict. This victory certainly belongs to the university and high-school students, who had to fight practically alone for around 9 weeks.

May 1st - Defend the Rights of Immigrant Workers

Posted Mon, 04/10/2006 - 11:16am by x344543

Whereas: the working class knows no borders or races, but exists wherever workers are exploited for the benefit of capital; and

Whereas: all human beings are entitled to the means of obtaining the necessities of life for themselves and their families, regardless of any artificial barriers created by government; and

Whereas: the nature of capitalist economies is to draw workers from all over to the centers of capitalist investment, while at the same time drawing wealth out of less-developed economies, thereby eliminating opportunities to earn a living within such economies; and

Whereas: the recent rise in immigration to the United States of America is directly attributable to this process, as exemplified by the destructive free-trade treaties forced upon Latin America by the United States government, as well as the insatiable lust of North American employers for a dependent, immigrant work-force that can be compelled to labor under sub-minimum wages and deplorable working conditions and used to undermine the working conditions of all workers; and

Si Se Puede to Si Se Pudo - A Labor Organizer Looks at Changing a Moment into a Movement

Posted Wed, 04/05/2006 - 6:53pm by x344543
Story by Adam Welch, IWW; Photo by Jessica Valdez - From Silicon Valley DeBug.

In this profound moment of world-wide doubt in leaders and governments, a wave of day laborers, cooks, janitors and high school students have suddenly become a powerful force bringing a new conversation to dinner tables and law makers across the nation.

This past week of marches and high school walkouts across San Jose in protest of HR 4437 was as beautiful as it was significant. Optimism was high returning from the March 25th journey across the city and back. The chant was no longer, "Si se puede," but, "Si se pudo" or, "Yes, we did it." Over the next week students made their own mark as they defied administrations, marching from school to school to spread their walkouts as well.

First American National Strike - May Day - 2006

Posted Sun, 04/02/2006 - 10:53pm by x344543

Disclaimer - The following article is reposted here because it is an issue with some relevance to the IWW. The views of the author do not necessarily agree with those of the IWW and vice versa.

Strike to support undocumented people's legalization

Los Angeles, U.S., March 30, 2006 (Notimex) - The March 25 Coalition, who called for Saturday's march in Los Angeles, announced an "American national strike." This is part of its mobilizations to support the legalization of 12 million undocumented people in the US.

During a press conference, the leaders of the main Hispanic organizations stated that the Los Angeles historic march was only the beginning of a movement that will not be over until a wide and fair immigration reform is achieved.