1st Coalition Meeting & March

The Coalition to March on the DNC is calling for an initial meeting of delegates from various organizations to be held at Dontre Hamilton (Red Arrow) Park in downtown Milwaukee, with a start time of 5pm on Thursday, October 3.

Several representatives from the founding organizations will chair this meeting. We will be going over our points of unity, reviewing the route of the march, and hearing questions that coalition delegates may have.

Afterward, we will do a walk-through of a portion of the route. We encourage everyone to bring signs and/or banners if you’ve got them! We will end the march with a public demonstration on the steps of city hall, demanding answers for why we haven’t received our permit despite having made the request nearly half a year ago.

We are looking for delegates from organizations to speak during the demonstration, specifically honing in on the fact that the city has yet to grant the Coalition a permit to peacefully protest for our demands. If you are from an organization and would like to speak or know someone who would, please message us and we’ll make it happen.

Unite to Preserve Transit to the South Shore: https://bit.ly/2PseZWj

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ATU Local 998

ATU LOCAL 998 CHALLENGES ‘BUDGET HOLE’ PROJECTION

Preliminary investigation points to millions of over projected MCTS operating expenses since 2015

MILWAUKEE, AUGUST 29, 2019 – The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 998 is demanding answers after a preliminary investigation by economic consultant Peter Donohue found that the County’s 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs) showed Milwaukee County Transit System’s actual operating expenses were under budget by $16.53 million from mostly over budgeting MCTS personnel expenses. A look at previous CAFRs show that $39.93 million budgeted for MCTS personnel expenses have possibly gone unspent, but the investigation won’t be complete until the County provides financial information requested.

Building Bridges: Celebrating 60 Years of Solidarity

SAVE THE DATE! The Milwaukee Area Labor Council is turning 60 this year and we’re having a party!

Milwaukee is a union town, born from a proud industrial past. Mark your calendars for a fun night where we celebrate our history and look towards a bright future.

https://bit.ly/2YNpkzF

Picket Training

Saturday, June 8, 10:00 AM–3:00 PM. Free training, lunch is provided. Zablocki Library large meeting room, 3501 W. Oklahoma Ave

Picket to win! How to organize successful pickets to achieve the specific goals of the Union or organization in struggle. This IWW training talks about basics of strike support and other modes of sustainable, effective direct action that can pressure businesses and other institutions. This training includes mapping, role playing, and how to build a winnable strategy.

The registration link is here: https://tinyurl.com/yycg6noj Please register for this training so we can know how how many participant manuals to print, and how much food to prepare. Lunch is provided, childcare and transportation are available upon request.

Peoples Power Assembly

https://bit.ly/2ZsP9WYhttps://bit.ly/2ZsP9WY

August 17, 2019 Sharon Black

Workers’ rights under attack

The writer is a former UFCW food processing plant worker.

Aug. 8 — While the El Paso, Texas, community was still in mourning, deeply shaken and suffering from the racist mass murder, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched the largest single-state raid in U.S. history in Mississippi on seven poultry processing plants. Six hundred and eighty workers were rounded up and arrested.

This raid was timed to come on the first day of the school year, so that many children had to walk home, only to find their loved ones, their mothers and fathers, missing. If anyone has any question of whether or not this is an act of war and terror, listen to the CNN news video or the aftermath. 

What is key for all workers to understand is that this raid was calculated payback for workers organizing, and it was aimed at the heart of the movement to unionize the South, which has historically been a cheap source of labor.

Two of the chicken processing plants operated by Koch Foods are organized by United Food and Commercial Workers Union. This same company recently paid out a $3.75 million settlement as a result of a class action suit that charged Koch Foods with sexual harassment, discrimination based on national origin and race, and retaliation against Latinx workers.

The lawsuit, filed by workers at the Morton plant, said that supervisors touched and/or made sexually suggestive comments to Latinx women workers, hit workers and charged money for normal everyday work activities.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration charged Koch Foods $88,000 in penalties for safety violations that resulted in severe injuries at the Mississippi plant.

Koch Foods also exploited Black farmers in Mississippi. See the ProPublica article: The shadow of slavery, sharecropping and Jim Crow has left black farmers in an especially precarious position. 

Peco Foods is another company that runs five Mississippi plants. Three — in Canton, Bay Springs and Sebastopol — were targeted by ICE agents.

Workers at the Peco Foods Sebastopol and Canton plants had filed safety complaints, which resulted in OSHA penalties. Peco settled a $9,550 penalty in 2015 and then was investigated five more times. Workers suffered amputations and fractures.

Peco was also charged with violating the Fair Labor Standards Act by requiring workers to perform “off the clock” work and denying overtime.

It took unbelievable courage for workers to stand up to these brutal conditions and the ICE raid was aimed at breaking their will and determination.

UFCW spokesperson Abraham White said: “Workers across this country are too scared to stand up for their rights and to report wage theft, dangerous work conditions, and other workplace issues. We must act now to end this dangerous climate of fear.”

Meatpacking still remains one of the most dangerous jobs, which has gotten worse with speedups introduced through increased automation. It’s hard to describe the work environment to anyone who has never worked inside a food processing plant. Temperatures are cold or freezing depending on what is being produced; water and animal fat frequently make floors slippery and dangerous. Workers risk amputations and machine related injuries that leave lifetime scars.

Koch Foods hires about 13,000 workers in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee. The company headquarters is in Park Ridge, Ill. It supplies chicken to Walmart, Burger King, Kroger and Aldi markets.

According to the Jackson, Miss., Free Press: “Executives at PECO Foods and Koch Foods have donated at least $170,000 to the National Chicken Council Political Action Committee, or NCCC, which in turn gives money mostly to Republican politicians. In 2018, the NCCC gave $190,000 to U.S. House Republicans, and just $23,000 to House Democrats.”

To date, there have been no reports of penalties against these companies. Forbes lists the owner of Koch Foods, Joseph C. Grendy, as being worth $3.3 billion.

https://bit.ly/2ZBVFpy

August 31, 2019 Jefferson Azevedo

In 1992, leaders of many countries gathered in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, to discuss mutual post-Cold War cooperation for international development. Environmental issues were the main topic.

In his speech at that meeting, Fidel Castro warned about the destruction of the Amazon forest. Fidel pointed out that a society based on consumerism is the fundamental culprit, and that it is geared by the old colonial metropolis and the imperialist policies that generated the poverty and underdevelopment that assails the vast majority of humankind. He also questioned what — without the supposed threat of communism and therefore without the pretext for the cold war — what is impeding the rich and developed nations from investing all the resources spent on weapons, to be spent instead on the development of the Third World, with policies that will end hunger, poverty and the ecological destruction of the planet?

The recent fires in the Brazilian part of the Amazon forest are just the latest and biggest blow to the “Green Giant.” After seeing video footage on TV,on social media and on various websites across the globe, people from all parts of the earth have reacted.

All are wondering, how could this be happening on such a large scale? Who is behind it? Why has the Brazilian government been silent about the Amazon rainforest fires since late July and not doing anything concrete to extinguish them?

The silence is due to the government’s, although indirect, participation in it. During his presidential campaign, Jair Bolsonaro spoke many times about the necessity to deregulate, loosen and/or simply end many of the laws and regulations that hindered the exploitation of the Amazon. 

To the second question, the answer is that it simply does not want to. It wants to let the rainforest burn as much as possible because that is the wish of the big bosses of the agro, meat and mineral businesses. Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of beef, soybeans, coffee and sugar. It is also one of the biggest exporters of minerals in their natural form.

In a capitalist economy, such rich and powerful industries gain a lot of control over policymaking decisions. Brazil is no different.

With all the money they have, the agro-cattle business developed the most powerful lobby in the history of the Brazilian Congress: the Rural Lobby or Bancada Ruralista in Portuguese. Among the main goals of the Rural Lobby are the forgiveness of the debts incurred by the farmers, the expansion of arable lands and the end of demarcation of Indigenous people`s land, as it consists of one of the main obstacles to the expansion of their business….

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL!  SI SE PUEDE!

SOLIDARITY FOREVER! MIGRANT RIGHTS ARE WORKERS’ RIGHTS! 

NO  BORDERS IN THE WORKERS’ STRUGGLE!

NO WORKER IS ‘ILLEGAL’!  UNION YES, JIM CROW, NO!

FOR MORE INFO:

Wisconsin State AFL-CIO

https://www.wisaflcio.org/

https://wisaflcio.typepad.com/

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EAU CLAIRE: Greater West Central Area Labor Council

Solidarity Walk @ 10:30 A.M. (Meet at Gray Street Parking Lot)

Rally at Phoenix Park @ 11 A.M.

NOON – 3 P.M. Phoenix Park Pavilion, 330 Riverfront Terrace, (LUNCH UNTIL GONE)

715-579-3297

Hosted by the Greater West Central Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Greater West Central Area Labor Council

715-579-3297

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FOND DU LAC

9:30 A.M. parade line-up. 11 A.M. parade starts, beginning at Rees and Main Street traveling north on Main Street past Scott Street.

Noon to 5 P.M. picnic at Oven Island at Lakeside Park, 555 N. Park Avenue.

There will be live music. This event is open to the public. Food and refreshments will be sold with proceeds from the parade and picnic going to local charities and organizations.

Hosted by the Fond du Lac County Labor Council, AFL-CIO

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GREEN BAY

11 A.M. – 4:30 P.M.., Bay Beach Shelter #1 and #2: 1313 Bay Beach Rd, Green Bay, WI 54302

Cost: Adults $10.00; Kids (13-20) $10.00; Kids (3-12) $5.00; Kids Under 3 Free
Family Package (2 Adults, 4 Kids) $25.00. Ticket includes: beverages, 1-2 meat coupons, chip coupon, dessert coupon and adult or kids game tickets. Proceeds from the picnic are donated to food pantries and homeless shelters in our area.

Hosted by the Greater Green Bay Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Greater Green Bay Labor Council

920-432-0053

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JANESVILLE: https://sites.google.com/view/laborfest/home

LaborFest 2019 NEW LOCATION at the Town Square Pavilion, 69 S River St.

Sunday, Sept. 1 from 11 A.M. – 9 P.M.

Monday, Sept. 2 from 11 A.M. at 7 P.M.

Parade:  Monday, Sept. 2 at 1 P.M. – 3 P.M., downtown Janesville

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KENOSHA: Celebrate Labor Day with KEA!

11 A.M. – 5 P.M., St. Therese Festival Grounds, 2020 91st street in Kenosha

Live music, food and beverage, kids area, prizes and raffles.

Hosted by the Kenosha County AFL-CIO

Kenosha afl-cio Council

262-654-2127

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LACROSSE: https://bit.ly/2UatM6J

10 A.M. – 3 P.M.

Parade starts at 10 A.M. at Gillette Street and Kane Street.

Food, drinks, BINGO & games follow (11 A.M.) at Copeland Park, 1130 Copeland Park Drive.

Hosted by Western Wisconsin AFL-CIO

Western Wisconsin AFL-CIO

Info: 715-205-0981 / http://westernwisconsinaflcio.org/

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MADISON: LaborFest 2019

1602 S Park Street, South Central Federation of Labor, 12 NOON – 3:30 P.M.

South Central Federation of Labor

608-256-5111

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MARINETTE

12 NOON

Labor Day Picnic at Marinette City Park, Carney Avenue

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MILWAUKEE: Laborfest

Zeidler Park to SummerFest grounds, 9 A.M. – 5 P.M.

Milwaukee Area Labor Council

414-771-7070

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NEENAH: 37th Annual Labor Fest & Parade Fox Valley Area Labor Council

Parade 10 A.M. Menasha (Racine & Broad St.) through Neenah (Downtown)

Festival: 11-5 P.M. at the Neenah Labor Temple, 157 N Green Bay Rd, Neenah WI 54956

12 noon- 5 P.M. – Live Music TIME MACHINE

11 A.M. – 5 P.M. Festival: Corn Roast, Food, Beverage Tent, Raffles, Family Fun Bouncers, Slushies, Face Painting, Balloons, Rummage & Crafts. Free admission and public welcome.

Hosted by the Fox Valley Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Fox Valley Area Labor Council

920-727-1790

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OSHKOSH

11 A.M. – 5 P.M. at South Park: W South Park Ave and Georgia Street.

Car Show, food, music by Fork in the Road, raffles and free books for children donated by the Labor Council.

Hosted by The Winnebago County Labor Council, AFL-CIO

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RACINE: Racine Area Labor Fest

9 A.M. – 5 P.M., Caledonia-Mt.Pleasant Memorial Park, 9416 Northwestern Ave, Franksville, Wisconsin 53126

Please bring 3 nonperishable food items for the Racine County Food Bank. This will entitle you to a plate of food and 2 free drinks.

Hosted by Racine County Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Racine County Labor Council

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WAUSAU

Line up for parade is at 3 P.M. from 3rd Ave to Cherry St. along West Wausau Ave.

Parade starts at 4 P.M. and will go down 3rd Ave and end at the Wausau Labor Temple.

Hosted by the Marathon County Central Labor Council AFL-CIO

Marathon County Central Labor Council AFL-CIO

715-370-8908

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FOR MORE INFO:

Wisconsin State AFL-CIO

https://www.wisaflcio.org/

https://wisaflcio.typepad.com/

https://bit.ly/2LbrRed

https://blackallianceforpeace.com/

ps://blackallianceforpeace.com/Black Alliance for Peace

August 22, 2019

The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) believes that along with the issue of climate change, the interlocking issues of war, militarism and normalized, illegal U.S. interventionism represent the main existential threats to global humanity. However, both mainstream elite political parties and the corporate media continue to minimize the impacts of morally indefensible and lawless interventions by the U.S. state, as well as the militarization of police forces nationwide and the obscene theft of public resources in the form of the Pentagon’s annual budget.

During the series of Democrat party “debates,” a mere 22 minutes were devoted to these issues under the rubric of foreign policy.

To address this dereliction of public responsibility, BAP is launching a petition campaign and candidate pledge process to demand that these issues receive the critical attention they deserve.  Going straight to the public, BAP is asking that the public demand that their representatives and all candidates for office address these issues by adopting a set of demands that we  believe represents a commitment to a “people(s)-centered human right framework.”

The BAP petition is calling on the public and all endorsing and participating organizations to demand that every candidate running for elected office, at every level of government,  sign candidate our pledge form that commits them to:  

Support efforts to cut the military budget by 50% as a first step in reducing military spending, and reallocate government expenditures to fully fund social programs to realize individual and collective human rights in the areas of housing, education, healthcare, green jobs and public transportation;

Oppose the militarization of the police and specifically the Department of Defense 1033 program that transfers millions of dollars’ worth of military equipment to local police forces;

Promote the closure of the more than 800 U.S. foreign military bases and the ending of U.S. participation in the white supremacist NATO military structure;

Call for and work to close the U.S. African Command (AFRICOM) and the withdrawal of all U.S. military personnel from Africa;

Demand that the Department of Justice document and investigate all instances of the use of lethal force by domestic police officers and agencies against non-white populations as demanded by various United Nations human rights treaty monitoring bodies;

Commit to passing resolutions at every level of government that commit the U.S. to upholding international law and the United Nations Charter, and to opposing all military, economic (including sanctions and blockades that are acts of war) and political interventions in the internal affairs of sovereign nations regardless of the political party controlling the office of the presidency; and

Sponsor legislation and/or resolutions at every level of government calling on the U.S. to support the United Nations resolution on the complete global abolishment of nuclear weapons passed by 122 nations in July 2017.

BAP believes that candidates who refuse to sign the pledge reveal to their would be constituents their complicity in upholding the U.S state as the premier interventionist of the global community, while also revealing their refusal to emancipate U.S. residents from militarized police states across the nation.

https://blackallianceforpeace.com/

Black Alliance for Peace