Support Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs and land defenders

Hello, As I type this, the Wet’suwet’en First Nation is under attack. The hereditary chiefs and land defenders in Canada are being removed from their land by military police to build the Coastal GasLink pipeline, despite having rights and title to their land, since time immemorial. The Coastal GasLink pipeline poses grave risks to the land, air, water, and climate, and to the Indigenous women living near the fracked gas pipeline route. Here in the U.S., you can help by calling out the largest funders of the Coastal GasLink pipeline, JPMorgan Chase and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR). Their plans to invest in the pipeline aren’t final and there’s still time to stop them. Sign the petition to protect Wet’suwet’en Indigenous Sovereignty: Demand U.S.-based fossil fuel profiteers JPMorgan Chase and KKR to stop financing the Coastal GasLink pipeline. The details of the deal are simple: JPMorgan Chase, the world’s biggest banker of fossil fuels, is helping funnel more than $5 billion in loans to the company behind Coastal GasLink. And, KKR — a New York City based investment firm with a grotesque reputation for putting profits over employees, people, and the environment — is involved too. It has plans to purchase 65% of the pipeline with Alberta Investment Management Corp (AIMCo). We need to stop all the funders of the Coastal GasLink pipeline. Many people are rising up. A movement of defiant and uncompromising support is quickly building around the globe and taking unprecedented action. Indigenous people and allies in Canada have led railway blockades, port shutdowns, sit-ins at government buildings, and huge rallies that have brought parts of Canada to an economic standstill. Meanwhile, global allies are shutting down Canadian consulates and banks that are funding the pipeline. Today across Canada, there’s a nation-wide student walkout. Add to the chorus now and we’ll be in touch about what you can do next! Sign the petition and rise up with the Wet’suwet’en people: Demand Chase and KKR stop financing the Coastal GasLink pipeline and stop the violence! This is as much of a fight for Indigenous rights as it is for the future of the planet. The Wet’suwet’en First Nation never signed a treaty to cede their land. Pipeline funders must be held accountable for their role in stealing Indigenous lands and fueling the climate crisis. There is no climate justice without Indigenous sovereignty, Vanessa Butterworth and the rest of Rising Tide North America

Brothers and Sisters,

Today, Governor Evers has called for a State of Emergency due to the Coronavirus. We have directly communicated with the Governor’s Office and let him know that the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO and the entire labor movement stands ready to respond and assist to this emergency in any way possible.

The first order of business is to make sure that all working people are safe at work and can take sick time without fear of punishment.

People with union contracts have long had the ability to benefit from the negotiated time off provisions within their Collective Bargaining Agreements. Far too many workers without unions do not have this important provision. Because of this pandemic, we as a nation are now acutely aware that when workers do not have paid sick time, they often are forced to make a dangerous choice between coming to work sick and putting food on the table for their kids versus staying at home and losing pay or even their job. That is a choice that no one should have to face. As this crisis progresses, government and industry must work together to support public health by providing a minimum 14-day paid sick bank for every worker impacted by the pandemic.

We call on officials from relevant agencies to enact the following commonsense policy responses to this emergency:

• Establish a minimum 14-day sick day bank for every worker impacted by the pandemic.

• No worker should be punished or ‘dinged’ for calling in sick.

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) must issue an emergency temporary standard to ensure the immediate protection of workers in health care workplaces and other high-risk workplaces identified by the Centers for Disease Control.

• Those who are affected by the virus while receiving unemployment benefits should be exempt from the requirement to search for work.

• Ensure that working people understand that if they are injured or infected as a result of their work, they are entitled to worker’s compensation benefits.

• All people should have access to free COVID-19 testing and no person should have to incur any cost whatsoever, whether in the form of copays, deductibles, or out-of-pocket costs, related to treatment for COVID-19. Costs should not be a barrier to testing and treatment.

• Personal Protective Equipment should be readily available for anyone tasked with treating potentially infected populations.

• Coronavirus related time off should not count against a worker’s Family and Medical Leave Act benefits.

These are only a few commonsense measures that must be put immediately into place. Union members have long-benefited from strong Collective Bargaining Agreements, which provide for specific provisions around sick time, safety, and whistleblower protections. Now, as we face an ever-growing pandemic, it is important that these workplace protections are expanded to all American workers.

It is up to us individually and collectively to take responsibility to end this epidemic. This means that workers should stay home when sick, companies shouldn’t punish workers who do stay home sick, and industry and government must create the funds necessary to ensure that workers continue to receive pay checks. We in the Wisconsin labor movement stand ready to do our part and more.

In Solidarity,

Stephanie Bloomingdale, President

View this statement online at the Wisconsin AFL-CIO website.

https://bit.ly/2wUYoBC

A new batch of US Marines arrived on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Saturday, according to local sources, installing Patriot defence systems.

Sanaa Post reported that the American soldiers were received by the “occupying” UAE forces at their headquarters on the island.

There is speculation that the US intends to establish its own military base amid reports that America had sent military experts to equip observation points to deploy radars and air defence points on the strategically located island overlooking the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

READ: UAE stealing Yemen’s Socotra manuscripts and artefacts, reports

US forces had previously arrived on Socotra in December of last year and reportedly started installing a Patriot missile system in order to protect the Saudi and Emirati forces on the island at the time.

According to the sources, on 21 December of last year, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman ordered the UN-recognised, exiled Yemeni government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi to lease the entire island to the UAE for a period of about 95 years. Saudi and Emirati forces began to arrive on the island in April 2018, the Saudi deployment was reportedly coordinated with the Yemeni government, whilst the UAE arrived without prior coordination with the Saudi-backed Yemeni authorities.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

March 24-30, International Week of Action to Support the Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege of Gaza. The second Anniversary of the Great Return March to demand the right of return to Palestinian refugees and an end to Israel’s siege of Gaza. Israel’s military has killed 214 unarmed Palestinians and wounded 18,764 more to repress the weekly march.

Every Friday at Noon, Protest to Divest in front of Chase Bank & Wells Fargo Bank on Water & Wisconsin in Milwaukee. They are the 2 largest investors in fossil fuels on Earth.

March 22, Sunday, 2 -4 PM, Tsuru for Solidarity (tsuru- origami paper peace cranes). Learn to make peace cranes as we help make a share of 125,000 tsuru (one for each Japanese-American person incarcerated in WWII). The cranes will be brought to Washington DC June 5-7,2020, for an action- “National Pilgrimage to Close the Camps” in solidarity with immigrant and refugee families the under attack today., Sponsored by Peace Action WI, Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom Outpost Natural Foods Community Room, 2826 S Kinnickinic Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207

March 14: 16th & Wisconsin

March 21: Sherman & North

March 28: National & Greenfield

End the Wars Coalition meetings, 3rd Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at the Peace Center

Next meeting will be March 18, 2020 at 7 PM

Peace Action Center, 1001 E Keefe Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53212 4124-269-9525 info@peaceactionwi.org            

March 21, Saturday, 11:00 AM, Rally in Support of the Rights of Palestinian People, Martin Luther King Plaza, State St between MLK Dr & Marquette Ave, Racine, Sponsored by Racine Coalition for Peace and Justice.