For Immediate Release
May 13, 2009
Rochester Hickey-Freeman Workers Vote to Stage Sit-In if Bailed-Out Bank Attempts to
Close Company
Vote Comes One Day After Illinois Workers Pledge Sit-in;
Sen. Charles Schumer Demands Jobs Stay in Rochester
ROCHESTER, NY, MAY 13—Determined to protect good, U.S. manufacturing jobs, more than 450 Hickey-Freeman workers unanimously voted yesterday to stage a sit-in if Wells Fargo & Co., their employer’s main creditor and a recipient of a $25 billion taxpayer bailout, liquidates company assets. Rochester workers are joining with employees of Hartmarx, Hickey-Freeman’s parent company, who voted earlier in the week to stage a sit-in if their plants were shuttered.
“There are a lot of married couples that work here. If they lost their jobs, their families would be devastated,” said Debbie Glinski, who has worked at Hickey-Freeman in Rochester for 15 years. “These banks received bail out money and that came from taxpayers like us. We helped them out and they need to help us out too.”
“We want to work. We’re willing to sit-in—and do more if necessary—to keep working,” said 50-year Hickey-Freeman employee Fred Cotraccia.
Yesterday’s vote means that if Wells Fargo or a buyer tries to liquidate the company or close the factory, the workers will respond by physically remaining at their job site. The Rochester Regional Joint Board of the Workers United union (an SEIU affiliate) ran the election. Hickey-Freeman employees have been members of the Joint Board for 90 years.
"These jobs are good jobs, and we’re hoping Wells Fargo doesn’t try to throw them away, but if it does, we're prepared to do whatever it takes to secure the jobs here in Rochester," Joint Board manager Gary Bonadonna said.
State and national leaders are increasingly standing up for Hartmarx workers and slamming Wells Fargo for shortsightedly refusing to invest in U.S. companies and workers.
"Wells Fargo has received billions in direct government support to get them through this crisis," Senator Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a press statement. "Now they must help justify the taxpayers' investment and give Hartmarx the time it needs to develop the best possible bids, and must select a bid for the company that will allow it to stay open and preserve 600-plus jobs in Rochester, scores more in Buffalo and 3,000 jobs across the country."
Chicago-based Hartmarx, the largest menswear manufacturing company in the nation, filed for bankruptcy protection in January after U.S. banks curtailed its lines of credit. The clothing maker employs 3,500 across the nation.
Amanda Cooper
Workers United - An SEIU Affiliate
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
More on Hartmarx developments...
This evening I talked to Joe Costigan of Workers United by phone about the developing situation. You can hear that interview here...
http://www.archive.org/details/JoeCostiganOnHartmarxSitdownVote
I apologize for the low audio quality. Joe had to talk to me via a very staticy cell phone connection.
I will post more info as it becomes available.
http://www.archive.org/details/JoeCostiganOnHartmarxSitdownVote
I apologize for the low audio quality. Joe had to talk to me via a very staticy cell phone connection.
I will post more info as it becomes available.
BREAKING NEWS!!!- Another Factory Occupation Coming to Chicago???
Here is the press release from Workers United, issued earlier today...
(Side note - It was Hart Schaffner & Marx workers who launched the 1910 Chicago Garment Workers General Strike that lead to a long strike of 20,000 garment workers in Chicago).
Hartmarx Workers Vote to "Sit In" to Save Their Jobs: TARP Recipient Wells Fargo Threatens to Close Obama Suit Maker Factory & Layoff Workers Despite $25b Bailout
500 Hartmarx Workers Joined by Illinois Rep. Phil Hare, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias & Other State, National Leaders
May 11, 2009
Chicago - Today, 500 workers at the Chicago-based apparel firm Hart Schaffner & Marx held a rally and historic "sit in" vote to fight for their jobs as major lender and TARP fund recipient Wells Fargo & Co. pushes for a bankruptcy closure of the facility.
"Everyone at the plant is worried about their future. It all hinges on Wells Fargo. They have to do the right thing and allow this company to be reorganized--so jobs can be saved," explained Ruby Simms, a 32-year veteran of the Hart Schaffner & Marx factory in Des Plaines, IL.
The workers voted in favor of a "sit in" style action, which means that if Wells Fargo or a buyer tries to begin liquidation or close the factory, the workers will respond by physically remaining at their job site.
The struggle of the Hartmarx workers mirrors that of the 250 Republic Windows and Doors workers who saved their own jobs last December when Bank of America tried to shutter their doors. State and national leaders are increasingly standing up for Hartmarx workers, members of the union Workers United (an SEIU affiliate), and slamming Wells Fargo-a $25 billion taxpayer bailout recipient-for shortsightedly refusing to invest in U.S. companies and workers.
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has vowed, "Unless the company remains open, [Wells Fargo] will not be doing business with the state of Illinois any longer."
"Wells Fargo has received $25 billion in taxpayer assistance through TARP. In other words, the workers Wells Fargo may throw out on the street have been subsidizing its operations during these tough economic times. So much for returning the favor," said Member of Congress Phil Hare, who also worked in the men's clothing industry as a cutter for 13 years.
The Hartmarx workers' struggle sounds the alarm on what could be a cascade of job losses and company closures perpetuated by U.S. financial institutions. "Voting to sit in, these workers are standing up for all of us," says Noel Beasley, Director of the Chicago/Midwest Regional Joint Board and Executive Vice President of Workers United, the union that represents the Hartmarx workers. "The future of the economy and the future of this country are all about good jobs. The vote today says Hartmarx workers are going to hold banks accountable for how they spend taxpayers' money and how they contribute to the future of our economy."
Chicago-based Hartmarx, the largest menswear manufacturing company in the nation, filed for bankruptcy protection in January after U.S. banks curtailed its lines of credit. The clothing maker employs 3,500 across the nation, with about 1,000 of its employees located in Rock Island and suburban Des Plaines where suits for President Obama are made.
Tom Balanoff, president of the SEIU Illinois State Council, called on America's banks to stand by working women and men: "This is a historical moment. This is where workers take a stand against shortsighted banking practices that cost American jobs. Workers don't want financial institutions like Bank of America and now Wells Fargo hurting their livelihoods. Our banking system should be helping to save jobs."
###
Workers United, an SEIU affiliate, is a union representing more than 150,000 workers in the US and Canada who work in the laundry, food service, hospitality, gaming, apparel, textiles manufacturing and distribution industries. Workers United is a new union with a history of more than 100 years, and includes members from many predecessor unions, including the ILGWU, ACTWU, UNITE and UNITE HERE.
SEIU - With 2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers-not just corporations and CEOs-benefit from today's global economy.
(Side note - It was Hart Schaffner & Marx workers who launched the 1910 Chicago Garment Workers General Strike that lead to a long strike of 20,000 garment workers in Chicago).
Hartmarx Workers Vote to "Sit In" to Save Their Jobs: TARP Recipient Wells Fargo Threatens to Close Obama Suit Maker Factory & Layoff Workers Despite $25b Bailout
500 Hartmarx Workers Joined by Illinois Rep. Phil Hare, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias & Other State, National Leaders
May 11, 2009
Chicago - Today, 500 workers at the Chicago-based apparel firm Hart Schaffner & Marx held a rally and historic "sit in" vote to fight for their jobs as major lender and TARP fund recipient Wells Fargo & Co. pushes for a bankruptcy closure of the facility.
"Everyone at the plant is worried about their future. It all hinges on Wells Fargo. They have to do the right thing and allow this company to be reorganized--so jobs can be saved," explained Ruby Simms, a 32-year veteran of the Hart Schaffner & Marx factory in Des Plaines, IL.
The workers voted in favor of a "sit in" style action, which means that if Wells Fargo or a buyer tries to begin liquidation or close the factory, the workers will respond by physically remaining at their job site.
The struggle of the Hartmarx workers mirrors that of the 250 Republic Windows and Doors workers who saved their own jobs last December when Bank of America tried to shutter their doors. State and national leaders are increasingly standing up for Hartmarx workers, members of the union Workers United (an SEIU affiliate), and slamming Wells Fargo-a $25 billion taxpayer bailout recipient-for shortsightedly refusing to invest in U.S. companies and workers.
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has vowed, "Unless the company remains open, [Wells Fargo] will not be doing business with the state of Illinois any longer."
"Wells Fargo has received $25 billion in taxpayer assistance through TARP. In other words, the workers Wells Fargo may throw out on the street have been subsidizing its operations during these tough economic times. So much for returning the favor," said Member of Congress Phil Hare, who also worked in the men's clothing industry as a cutter for 13 years.
The Hartmarx workers' struggle sounds the alarm on what could be a cascade of job losses and company closures perpetuated by U.S. financial institutions. "Voting to sit in, these workers are standing up for all of us," says Noel Beasley, Director of the Chicago/Midwest Regional Joint Board and Executive Vice President of Workers United, the union that represents the Hartmarx workers. "The future of the economy and the future of this country are all about good jobs. The vote today says Hartmarx workers are going to hold banks accountable for how they spend taxpayers' money and how they contribute to the future of our economy."
Chicago-based Hartmarx, the largest menswear manufacturing company in the nation, filed for bankruptcy protection in January after U.S. banks curtailed its lines of credit. The clothing maker employs 3,500 across the nation, with about 1,000 of its employees located in Rock Island and suburban Des Plaines where suits for President Obama are made.
Tom Balanoff, president of the SEIU Illinois State Council, called on America's banks to stand by working women and men: "This is a historical moment. This is where workers take a stand against shortsighted banking practices that cost American jobs. Workers don't want financial institutions like Bank of America and now Wells Fargo hurting their livelihoods. Our banking system should be helping to save jobs."
###
Workers United, an SEIU affiliate, is a union representing more than 150,000 workers in the US and Canada who work in the laundry, food service, hospitality, gaming, apparel, textiles manufacturing and distribution industries. Workers United is a new union with a history of more than 100 years, and includes members from many predecessor unions, including the ILGWU, ACTWU, UNITE and UNITE HERE.
SEIU - With 2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers-not just corporations and CEOs-benefit from today's global economy.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
May Day 09: Media Created Spectacle vs. Media Blackout…
OK, I will be honest - this year's May Day march in Chicago was small. Much smaller than the 750,000 to a million who marched in 2006. Smaller even than the tens of thousands who marched last year. After lambasting the mainstream media for their horrible coverage of last years march, I feel the need to be honest about the fact that this years turn-out was the smallest since 2006. And this pattern was repeated around the country, coast-to-coast. That said, this was a surprise to practically no one. Sure there were a few immigrants rights activists that predicated bigger turn outs, more out of the hope that their enthusiasm might encourage more people to show up. But I think everyone pretty much knew that this would not be the best of May Day celebrations.
The reasons are a multitude and quite obvious to anyone who has paid any attention to the political terrain as it relates to both the labor and immigrant rights movements:
1. Barack Obama’s election has diminished rather than encouraged increased activism among members of a number of social movements, including the immigrant rights movement. We saw this with the anti-war movement in previous months. The attitude is, we did our part in November, now let’s let Obama make good on his promises and give him some space and time. Unfortunately history shows that without mass mobilization, Obama will be less likely to remember promises made.
2. A related phenomenon is the belief by many that mass mobilization will hurt the cause; that it may ignite a xenophobic reaction that will make immigration reform less likely. This view is quite strong among many of the leading immigrant rights organizations in the country right now. Many feel “back channel” pressures on the administration are more effective at the moment. While there might be some truth to this view, my warning stated above about forgetting promises made applies here as well and the likely outcome of such an approach is compromise legislation which is barely better (or perhaps worse) than no reform at all.
3. Lack of an obvious threat: The Sensenbrenner Bill in 2006 was ironically in many ways a “gift” to the movement. Nothing mobilizes like an imminent threat. The legislation was so outrageous that people felt compelled to turn-out in the streets. Despite the increase in raids and other draconian measures taken since 2006, the public has not had the same sense of imminent danger since.
4. Continued climate of fear: Turnout has been declining since 2006 partly because of increased fear generated by the massive increase in ICE raids since 2006. There is much more fear on the part of many undocumented immigrants that any public actions will make them easier targets. Sadly (and tellingly), the Obama administration has not used it’s executive authority to stop the raids and has seen fit to let them continue un-abated.
5. Similar to the fears of ICE are fears about the economy. In many cities the 2006 marches were virtual general strikes, with workers taking the day off to join the marches. It is a much bigger gamble given the current state of the economy, to take a day off work.
6. A sense of resignation: For many, the lack of victories after 3 years of marches has lead to a sense of apathy. For some, this attitude has intensified in the face of disappoint that Obama has done so little in the first hundred days to address the concerns of the immigrant community and has provided hints that little is coming in the next year.
7. In Chicago (and I imagine in other cities as well) it must be honestly admitted that in-fighting within the movement has also been a factor. The immigrant’s rights movement is probably at its most fractured currently than at any point since 2006. There is little unity around which way forward at the moment.
8. Organized labor’s support for May Day celebrations and immigrant rights was steadfast, and many local unions were key, once again, to the organizing of yesterday’s marches. But in all honesty, labor’s primary focus is elsewhere at the moment. Labor and immigrant rights groups both emphasized the importance of EFCA at yesterday’s rallies and of the close connection between EFCA and legalization for all, but official mobilization, support and resources was much stronger for the EFCA rallies that have taken place around the country over the past few months than for the May Day marches yesterday.
9. Last but certainly not least was the effect of “flu fear” on yesterday’s turn-out. Here was a real de-mobilizer that no organizers could have predicated. And the effect by all accounts was significant. Based on anecdotal evidence of the amount of family members and friends who admitted to skipping yesterday’s march in Chicago due to flu fears, I would hazard to guess that as many as a quarter to a third of those who planned to turn out, changed their minds sometime over the past week. The city itself tried it’s best to use flu fear to convince the organizers to call of the march entirely.
All that said, I still think it is undeniable that yesterday’s marches and rallies were clear evidence that the May Day tradition has returned to the U.S.A. for good. We have to remember, beyond the occasional gatherings, usually measured in the hundreds at best, of assorted radicals and activist who honored May Day, International Workers Day was largely forgotten in the country for most of the last 120 years. Brought back by immigrant workers in 2006 to the land of its birth, all indications are that it will not be forgotten again.
The mainstream media on the other hand is hard at work making sure it does not contribute to this recovery of memory. This year offered the most perfect of contrasts and the most blatant of examples of media bias. On “Tax Day”, April 15th, FOX News covered the couple hundred, so called “Tea Parties” (anti-tax demonstrations) held around the country as if it were election day (perhaps still smarting from the realities of actual election day last November). With reporters reporting from the scene in dozens of cities, FOX’s right wing speakers bureau pontificated hour after hour about the evils of taxation and the eminent demise of the nation given Obama’s election. FOX spared no expense in turning the Tea Parties into a media spectacle par excellence - the OJ trail for disgruntled right wingers. What is even more outrageous is that the tea parties were largely a creation of FOX in conjunction with a cabal of right wing radio personalities and the Republican Party. Fox publicized and mobilized for the tea parties for weeks, leading up to April 15th. So FOX was in effect first creating a media spectacle and than covering what they had created. Now that’s propaganda at its finest. FOX clearly has the finest marketing team (professional bullsh_ters) in all of broadcasting. Of course all the other mass media outlets, especially CNN, almost begrudgingly (perhaps frustrated they hadn’t thought of it themselves) felt compelled to offer up their own excessive coverage of the rallies. Never mind the confused messages delivered at the rallies (were they protesting the Bush taxes they were paying that day or the Obama tax cuts 90% of them would benefit from next year? – I wasn’t clear on that). Never mind that the views of those at the rallies have been proven repeatedly in recent polls to be minority views. Never mind that the real tax cheats – corporate America – were they primary sponsors of this faux “grassroots” rebellion, which bore almost no relation to the issues addressed by the original Boston Tea Party. Of course its true that many working class people are angry about their current tax burden. I am all for returning to 1950’s era tax rates, when working people paid much less tax and corporations paid much higher taxes. Working people are right to be angry with the increasingly regressive tax structure in this country – but I didn’t see any banners in the Tea Party rallies calling for a return to progressive taxation (or calling for abolition of state provide police and fire protection on the part of the libertarians at the rallies, most of which were held is state funded public parks). What really angers me is the attempt by FOX, the right wing media elite and the Republican Party to spin these events as purely spontaneous, populist rebellions when they spent millions of dollars and untold hours of air time generating the rallies. Imagine the day when FOX sees fit to mobilize for May Day.
So how did the coverage of the Tea Parties compare with coverage of May Day 2009? The media generated spectacle of April 15th turned into a virtual media blackout on May 1st. How many of you saw any coverage on T.V. of yesterday’s rallies? Despite my best efforts I caught zero. In regards to radio I heard one 30 second blurb about the smallness of the rally in Chicago. Searches of Google News yesterday night turned up a handful of short print accounts, mostly back page stuff, that once again emphasized the low turn out. So what gives? The turn out was roughly similar to that on April 15th, despite the decline in numbers from previous years. Chicago’s May Day march seems to have been the largest single event in the country. The Chicago Tribune estimated 2,000 while the New York Times estimated 5,000. Those of us in attendance put the number somewhere between those two. This is roughly the same as the largest Tea Party, held in Dallas April 15th, and estimated to be a little over 4,000. Most of the other Tea Parties around the nation were said to be in the hundreds, rather than the thousands who rallied yesterday in LA, New York, Miami and other locations. Granted in places like LA, because numerous rallies were held in different locations, it was hard to get good estimates of numbers from yesterday’s rallies. Perhaps in the end their were slightly more people involved in the Tea Parties than in yesterday’s May Day marches given that FOX and other news reports claimed rallies had taken place in hundreds of locations around the country (the most fantastic of estimates, almost certainly an exaergation, put the aggregate number at around 1 million across the country). Not surprising given the media hype a mobilization that occurred to prepare for April 15th. Indeed, if anything, it is surprising how few showed up for the Tea Parties given the cajoling of FOX and friends. But it can’t simply be a numbers game. In previous years, even in 2006, when millions (literally and verifiable in that case) took to the streets, the mainstream media coverage was no-where near as extensive as that provided the Tea Parties on April 15th. Even when the protestors were meet with police violence like happened in LA in 2007, the story was pretty much pushed to the back pages. For 3 years running, truly grass roots efforts of the labor and the immigrant rights community have mobilized millions to take part in what is perhaps now the nation’s largest and most significant series of annual protests other than the Iraq war protests held each March. Yet FOX and friends not only did not see fit to provide all day coverage from multiple locations as they did April 15th, but seem loathed to even issue a short sound bite that the marches had happened at all.
So the bias of the media elite to the message of corporate America continues unabated and becomes only more blatant with each passing year.
Pictures and audio from yesterday’s march in Chicago will be posted soon – check back tonight and tomorrow. And tune into Labor Express Radio tomorrow night at 7 PM, on 88.7 FM, WLUW for a May Day report back.
The reasons are a multitude and quite obvious to anyone who has paid any attention to the political terrain as it relates to both the labor and immigrant rights movements:
1. Barack Obama’s election has diminished rather than encouraged increased activism among members of a number of social movements, including the immigrant rights movement. We saw this with the anti-war movement in previous months. The attitude is, we did our part in November, now let’s let Obama make good on his promises and give him some space and time. Unfortunately history shows that without mass mobilization, Obama will be less likely to remember promises made.
2. A related phenomenon is the belief by many that mass mobilization will hurt the cause; that it may ignite a xenophobic reaction that will make immigration reform less likely. This view is quite strong among many of the leading immigrant rights organizations in the country right now. Many feel “back channel” pressures on the administration are more effective at the moment. While there might be some truth to this view, my warning stated above about forgetting promises made applies here as well and the likely outcome of such an approach is compromise legislation which is barely better (or perhaps worse) than no reform at all.
3. Lack of an obvious threat: The Sensenbrenner Bill in 2006 was ironically in many ways a “gift” to the movement. Nothing mobilizes like an imminent threat. The legislation was so outrageous that people felt compelled to turn-out in the streets. Despite the increase in raids and other draconian measures taken since 2006, the public has not had the same sense of imminent danger since.
4. Continued climate of fear: Turnout has been declining since 2006 partly because of increased fear generated by the massive increase in ICE raids since 2006. There is much more fear on the part of many undocumented immigrants that any public actions will make them easier targets. Sadly (and tellingly), the Obama administration has not used it’s executive authority to stop the raids and has seen fit to let them continue un-abated.
5. Similar to the fears of ICE are fears about the economy. In many cities the 2006 marches were virtual general strikes, with workers taking the day off to join the marches. It is a much bigger gamble given the current state of the economy, to take a day off work.
6. A sense of resignation: For many, the lack of victories after 3 years of marches has lead to a sense of apathy. For some, this attitude has intensified in the face of disappoint that Obama has done so little in the first hundred days to address the concerns of the immigrant community and has provided hints that little is coming in the next year.
7. In Chicago (and I imagine in other cities as well) it must be honestly admitted that in-fighting within the movement has also been a factor. The immigrant’s rights movement is probably at its most fractured currently than at any point since 2006. There is little unity around which way forward at the moment.
8. Organized labor’s support for May Day celebrations and immigrant rights was steadfast, and many local unions were key, once again, to the organizing of yesterday’s marches. But in all honesty, labor’s primary focus is elsewhere at the moment. Labor and immigrant rights groups both emphasized the importance of EFCA at yesterday’s rallies and of the close connection between EFCA and legalization for all, but official mobilization, support and resources was much stronger for the EFCA rallies that have taken place around the country over the past few months than for the May Day marches yesterday.
9. Last but certainly not least was the effect of “flu fear” on yesterday’s turn-out. Here was a real de-mobilizer that no organizers could have predicated. And the effect by all accounts was significant. Based on anecdotal evidence of the amount of family members and friends who admitted to skipping yesterday’s march in Chicago due to flu fears, I would hazard to guess that as many as a quarter to a third of those who planned to turn out, changed their minds sometime over the past week. The city itself tried it’s best to use flu fear to convince the organizers to call of the march entirely.
All that said, I still think it is undeniable that yesterday’s marches and rallies were clear evidence that the May Day tradition has returned to the U.S.A. for good. We have to remember, beyond the occasional gatherings, usually measured in the hundreds at best, of assorted radicals and activist who honored May Day, International Workers Day was largely forgotten in the country for most of the last 120 years. Brought back by immigrant workers in 2006 to the land of its birth, all indications are that it will not be forgotten again.
The mainstream media on the other hand is hard at work making sure it does not contribute to this recovery of memory. This year offered the most perfect of contrasts and the most blatant of examples of media bias. On “Tax Day”, April 15th, FOX News covered the couple hundred, so called “Tea Parties” (anti-tax demonstrations) held around the country as if it were election day (perhaps still smarting from the realities of actual election day last November). With reporters reporting from the scene in dozens of cities, FOX’s right wing speakers bureau pontificated hour after hour about the evils of taxation and the eminent demise of the nation given Obama’s election. FOX spared no expense in turning the Tea Parties into a media spectacle par excellence - the OJ trail for disgruntled right wingers. What is even more outrageous is that the tea parties were largely a creation of FOX in conjunction with a cabal of right wing radio personalities and the Republican Party. Fox publicized and mobilized for the tea parties for weeks, leading up to April 15th. So FOX was in effect first creating a media spectacle and than covering what they had created. Now that’s propaganda at its finest. FOX clearly has the finest marketing team (professional bullsh_ters) in all of broadcasting. Of course all the other mass media outlets, especially CNN, almost begrudgingly (perhaps frustrated they hadn’t thought of it themselves) felt compelled to offer up their own excessive coverage of the rallies. Never mind the confused messages delivered at the rallies (were they protesting the Bush taxes they were paying that day or the Obama tax cuts 90% of them would benefit from next year? – I wasn’t clear on that). Never mind that the views of those at the rallies have been proven repeatedly in recent polls to be minority views. Never mind that the real tax cheats – corporate America – were they primary sponsors of this faux “grassroots” rebellion, which bore almost no relation to the issues addressed by the original Boston Tea Party. Of course its true that many working class people are angry about their current tax burden. I am all for returning to 1950’s era tax rates, when working people paid much less tax and corporations paid much higher taxes. Working people are right to be angry with the increasingly regressive tax structure in this country – but I didn’t see any banners in the Tea Party rallies calling for a return to progressive taxation (or calling for abolition of state provide police and fire protection on the part of the libertarians at the rallies, most of which were held is state funded public parks). What really angers me is the attempt by FOX, the right wing media elite and the Republican Party to spin these events as purely spontaneous, populist rebellions when they spent millions of dollars and untold hours of air time generating the rallies. Imagine the day when FOX sees fit to mobilize for May Day.
So how did the coverage of the Tea Parties compare with coverage of May Day 2009? The media generated spectacle of April 15th turned into a virtual media blackout on May 1st. How many of you saw any coverage on T.V. of yesterday’s rallies? Despite my best efforts I caught zero. In regards to radio I heard one 30 second blurb about the smallness of the rally in Chicago. Searches of Google News yesterday night turned up a handful of short print accounts, mostly back page stuff, that once again emphasized the low turn out. So what gives? The turn out was roughly similar to that on April 15th, despite the decline in numbers from previous years. Chicago’s May Day march seems to have been the largest single event in the country. The Chicago Tribune estimated 2,000 while the New York Times estimated 5,000. Those of us in attendance put the number somewhere between those two. This is roughly the same as the largest Tea Party, held in Dallas April 15th, and estimated to be a little over 4,000. Most of the other Tea Parties around the nation were said to be in the hundreds, rather than the thousands who rallied yesterday in LA, New York, Miami and other locations. Granted in places like LA, because numerous rallies were held in different locations, it was hard to get good estimates of numbers from yesterday’s rallies. Perhaps in the end their were slightly more people involved in the Tea Parties than in yesterday’s May Day marches given that FOX and other news reports claimed rallies had taken place in hundreds of locations around the country (the most fantastic of estimates, almost certainly an exaergation, put the aggregate number at around 1 million across the country). Not surprising given the media hype a mobilization that occurred to prepare for April 15th. Indeed, if anything, it is surprising how few showed up for the Tea Parties given the cajoling of FOX and friends. But it can’t simply be a numbers game. In previous years, even in 2006, when millions (literally and verifiable in that case) took to the streets, the mainstream media coverage was no-where near as extensive as that provided the Tea Parties on April 15th. Even when the protestors were meet with police violence like happened in LA in 2007, the story was pretty much pushed to the back pages. For 3 years running, truly grass roots efforts of the labor and the immigrant rights community have mobilized millions to take part in what is perhaps now the nation’s largest and most significant series of annual protests other than the Iraq war protests held each March. Yet FOX and friends not only did not see fit to provide all day coverage from multiple locations as they did April 15th, but seem loathed to even issue a short sound bite that the marches had happened at all.
So the bias of the media elite to the message of corporate America continues unabated and becomes only more blatant with each passing year.
Pictures and audio from yesterday’s march in Chicago will be posted soon – check back tonight and tomorrow. And tune into Labor Express Radio tomorrow night at 7 PM, on 88.7 FM, WLUW for a May Day report back.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Plans for May Day 2009 in Chicago...
SPANISH VERSIONS OF FLYERS NOW AVAILABLE BELOW, SORRY FOR LEAVING THEM OUT BEFORE...
Here are all the details about plans for May Day 2009. First is info on the immigrant rights march...
Call to March and Endorsements:
WITHOUT LEGALIZATION THERE CAN BE NO EQUAL LABOR RIGHTS!
ATTENTION ALL WORKERS AND STUDENTS!
10am: Rally in Union Park (Ashland and Washington)
11:30am: March to Federal Plaza*
In commemoration of the International Day of the Working Class, this May 1st, march for jobs and the right to unionize for all workers, and the legalization of more than 12 million undocumented immigrant workers in the U.S.
Join us to stand up against the attempts to make immigrants and working families pay for the economic crisis and war. We demand greater and equal access to education, healthcare, affordable housing and jobs for all! We demand an end to raids and deportations!
The March 10th Committee welcomes everybody to march behind our banner: “Without Legalization There Can Be No Equal Labor Rights”. In the spirit of making our march lively and energizing we have gathered a few props that we invite you to look for at Union Park. We’ll have giant puppets from The Backbone Campaign, Korean Drummers from KRCC, a sound truck that will lead the contingent and 1,500 signs with the same slogan as our banner.
How To Donate: To donate for the May Day events, write checks payable to Comite 10 de Marzo, and contact Victor Cortez at http://us.mc01g.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=mizisa@aol.com.
For more info about the march and rally call 312-738-6100.
For a flyer click below...
http://www.laborexpress.org/PDFs/Mayday09FlyerEnglish.pdf
For a Spanish version, click below...
http://www.laborexpress.org/PDFs/Mayday09FlyerSpanish.pdf
* Due to talks with the City of Chicago we had to start the march earlier; we must leave promptly at 11:30 am.
Also happening on May Day...
May Day Rally
May 1, 2009 - 4:00 p.m.
Haymarket Square (Randolph & Desplaines Streets, Chicago)
A representative from the national AFL-CIO will attend to speak and to present a plaque to be installed on the Memorial.
Co-sponsored by Chicago Federation of Labor and Illinois Labor History Society.
At 4:00 PM, workers, trade unionists and others will gather at the Haymarket memorial at Randolph and DesPlaines for the annual May Day Commeration. For more on that event you can contact the Illinois Labor History Society (ILHS) at (312) 663-4107 or President of ILHS, Larry Spivak at (312) 641-6060. Or checkout ILHS web page were you can download a flyer...
http://www.kentlaw.edu/ilhs/newsdesk.html
And don't forget, one week later on March 9th, the Labor Notes Workers School...
Please join us for the 2009 Chicago Troublemakers School
Layoffs. Concessions. Benefit cuts. Corporate America has created the biggest crisis for workers in decades, and we are paying the price.
How do keep what we've got while building power to fight for more?
If you've already registered for this one-of-a-kind event, thank you. If you haven't, register today!
When: Saturday, May 9
9 am to 4:30 pm
Where: Malcolm X College
1900 W. Van Buren
Chicago, IL. 60612
Frequently updated information available at www.labornotes.org/chicago
Opening plenary: Fighting Through the Economic Crisis in Chicago
Labor activists are digging in their heels as the economy pelts workers with everything its got. Get equipped with an analysis of the economic crisis, and hear from workers throughout the city who are fighting cuts and concessions.
Closing plenary: You Gotta Fight to Win: Building on Our Victories
Chicago taught the nation a lesson this winter when Republic Windows and Doors workers reminded us that we can't win if we don't fight. Celebrating the victory of the sit-down, along with other victories in Chicago, we'll look at how we won, what to do to win more, and lessons for the day after a victory.
Workshops include:
Organizing in the Crisis
The need for organizing is greater than ever as unorganized workers feel some of the harshest effects of the economic crisis. What new pitfalls and opportunities has the economic crisis presented for workers’ organizing efforts? Is the crisis making workers more or less likely to organize? Is it changing what they are fighting for? Worker centers and labor unions will discuss the lay of the land for organizing and tactics and strategies for organizing in the crisis.
Changing your Union
How can you get involved in shaping the future of your union? Does your union leadership need some "encouragement" from the members? Hear from union members who are taking charge of their unions through union reform caucuses, and those that have run for office--and won. Reformers will discuss how to build support among members and will share some of the tough lessons learned from reformers in office.
Fighting Back in the Pubilc Sector
As the recession hit, falling tax revenues have lead to cuts in government spending and services. Hear from union activists who are fighting cuts by saving city run Mental Health clinics, workers resisting speed ups at UIC Medical Center, and teachers and community organizers that rallied to save 25 schools from the Chicago Public Schools’ restructuring plan, and others. Developing community-labor alliances will be discussed as a strategy.
Also: Lessons from labor's history, Defending immigrant workers, Preparing a grievance for possible arbitration, and more.
REGISTER TODAY!
Go to www.labornotes.org/chicago to register online, or call 313-842-6262.
For a flyer click below...
http://www.laborexpress.org/PDFs/chicagotroublemakerschoolflyer.pdf
For a spanish flyer, click below...
http://www.laborexpress.org/PDFs/chicagotroublemakerschoolflyerspanish.pdf
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Neoliberal privatization Chicago style...
I just heard a great piece on Public Radio (WBEZ). Here is a link to the story...
http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=33678
The gist of the story was that Daley’s privatization of parking meters might have “an unexpected consequence”. The story focused on the reactions of Northside Alderman Scott Waguespack and Tom Tunney when they “realized” that they could no longer simply pass an ordinance regulating hours for parking meters without paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in extortion money to Morgan Stanely, the financial services giant (aka robber barron, aka another AIG, Bear Sterns etc, etc, etc), who now owns the meters and the revenue they generate. I laughed out loud when the WBEZ reporter quoted Tom Tunney as stating that Morgan Stanley can’t take away his legislative power. But that is precisely the point of neo-liberal economic measures like privatization plans and “free trade agreements”. They are all about taking power out of the hands of the public and turning it over to corporations. Sorry Tommy Boy, I can’t wait till he tries to convince his best buddy Richey Daley that the city should cough up a couple hundred thousand dollars for Morgan Stanely so he can maintain the appearance that he still has legislative authority on parking meters.
Here is the comment I posted on WBEZ’s website…
“unexpected consequence”! It should have been totally expected! Don’t you guys understand what privatization is all about? I would expect that allegedly educated “public servants” like Scott Waguespack and Tom Tunney, who voted in favor of the privatization plan, would understand what privatization really means. Privatization, like all other aspects of neo-liberal economics is as much about a transfer of power as it is about making money. The whole point is to remove formerly public sectors of society from public power and control and to transfer those sectors into the hands of private corporate power. This is the same tactics and logical that operate under NAFTA & CAFTA rules. In 1999 Methanex Corp. sued the U.S. government for $970 million because of a California law phasing out the sale of MTBE, a gasoline additive that is harmful to the environment. They did so through NAFTA’s secretive court system which is outside the jurisdiction of the U.S. our any governments legal system, setup under the Chapter 11 investor to state rights provisions of NAFTA. Metalclad, a U.S. company sued a small community in Mexico for 16.5 million dollars when Mexican citizens tried to pass and ordinance preventing the company from creating a toxic waste dump in their back yard, once again using Chapter 11 provisions of NAFTA. And there are dozens of other examples. I recommend Bill Moyers NOW Program episode entitled “Trading Democracy” if you are in the dark about this stuff. So it made me laugh when the WBEZ reporter quoted Tom Tunney as stating that Morgan Stanley can not take away Alderman’s legislative power. Sorry Tommy Boy, but that is exactly what privatization is all about. That is why it represents such a threat to democracy. Wise up people.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Steelworkers Local 2154 members protest racism in their workplace…
Audio from Sunday night’s program is now available...
http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressFor4-19-09
The employees of Commercial Forged Products on Chicago Southwest side have long endured racial intimidation and harassment at their workplace. A few years ago, former plant manager John Tobias held up a hangmen’s noose in front of a black employee and stated… “This is what I used to do when I lived in Mississippi.” During contract negotiations last fall, the new plant manager Steve Schreiner told the bargaining committee that he planned to eliminate Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday and disband the company’s Civil Rights Committee. Steelworkers Local 2154 represents workers at 12 facilities around the Chicago area. Yet over 65% of the grievances handled by the union in the past three years have come from Commercial Forged Products, and the vast majority of those have been related to harassment of pro-union Black and Latino employees.
The workers at Commercial Forged Products have had enough and held a rally outside their plant on Friday. You can hear more about the rally by listening to tonight’s episode of Labor Express Radio.
To see pictures from the rally, go here…
http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/bb5/kronstadt2/Steelworkers%202154%20Rally%204-17-09/
To support the workers at Commercial Forged Products, contact the company and express your concerns over harassment of Black and Latino pro-union employees…
http://www.commercialforged.com/
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