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Recent News
Volunteer September 15 for Crisis in Oklahoma!
From:
Kenneth stretcher [mailto:kstretcher@igc.org]
Sent: Monday,
August 27, 2001 4:16 AM
To:
Gene Lantz
Subject:
Okla. election
I have
learned that the Right is holding an Election to repeal Oklahoma's Agency Shop
law. SEIU, L100 has asked me to round up some people to help the Okla AFL-CIO
do "walks" in Southern OK on the weekends of sept 15/16 and 21/22. I
can't say for sure if housing or mileage will be paid for. If you can put it on
the web or in a newsletter and tell them to respond to 214/823-2001 or
seiu100txda@acorn.org, we would be thankful.
--Kenneth
**
The No SQ 695 campaign office phone number
is 405.524.6950. They are asking anyone interested in helping to coordinate
through this office.
Thanks so much for your interest in
helping our brothers and sisters in Oklahoma.
Fraternally,
Larry Stettnisch (UFCW)
**
Ernesto Salazar,
Everett Day, and Jay Dunn. Gerardo Contreras is standing
In the Background
At the August 11 Jobs with Justice
meeting, Jay Dunn made a plea for Texas activists to volunteer a Saturday to
help Oklahoma workers fight off an effort to turn their state into a “right to
work (scab)” state like ours. If the spokespersons for big corporations
succeed, Oklahoma may move itself into the bottom tier of all socially
significant statistics, where Texas currently vies with Mississippi for “worst
in the nation.” Dunn says that the third Saturday in September is the target
date. Tentative plans are to form a car caravan at 5 AM at the General Motors
plant in Arlington. Contact Jay Dunn through labor@att.net.
Gerardo Contreras of the Labor
Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) cooked an excellent lunch for
about 50 people. Many of them were Contreras’ co-workers at the Vought plant
near the union hall at 2218 E Main, where Jobs with Justice meets on the second
Saturday of each month. Discussions focused on the need for a Cesar Chavez
birthday (March 31) holiday and on a number of scheduled actions against undemocratic
globalization.
1.
The
committee to free the “Charleston 5” dockworkers hopes to see a reception in
the Dallas area toward the end of September. Across the nation, unions and
other organizations are working on protests for the first day of the trial. Dockworkers
are particularly important in opposing undemocratic globalization.
2.
The
last week in September will see an AFL-CIO sponsored “Week for Global Justice”
in Washington DC. Local activists have already begun making plans to go. The
U.S. Congress may vote on their last super-NAFTA proposal during that time
period.
3.
The
AFL-CIO is endorsing the World Confederation of Free Trade Union’s call for
protests against the World Trade Organization on November 9, while the World
Trade Organization sequesters itself in protest-free Qatar.
For more information on all
developments, check out the national AFL-CIO
page.
**
Texas AFL-CIO Convention Moved Ahead!
National Organization of Legal Services Workers held convention in San Antonio
See our AFL-CIO page
More
Opportunities Upon Us!
Public
Citizen expects fast track vote soon. Urgent everybody call free (800)
393-1082. The number still works. Apparently, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
still hasn't committed.
**
Unions
Call for Global Action!
Trade
unions from around the world are joining together for a Global Unions' Day of
Action Nov. 9, the opening day of the World Trade Organization meeting in Doha,
Qatar.
The Day
of Action will "mark the unwillingness of trade unions to accept the
negative effects that globalization is imposing on workers around the
world," said Bill Jordan, general secretary of the International
Confederation of Free Trade Unions. The announcement of the November action
came as activists from around the world marched and protested during the G-8
summit in Genoa, Italy, last week against a global economy that benefits the
rich at workers' expense.
Italian
police killed one protester and injured hundreds others in a crackdown against
legal, peaceful demonstrations. The leaders of the world's richest nations,
including President George W. Bush, continued to ignore the concerns of working
people, including a proposal by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney that the leaders
reduce the U.S. dollar's value to avoid a global recession. --AFL-CIO’s
Work in Progress
**
JEERS
to the Italian police who shot a protester who brandished a fire extinguisher
at them. After they put two rifle slugs into his head, they backed their jeep
over his dying body! View pictures at
http://italia.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=4005&group=webcast. --Yahoo
News
Cesar Chavez Family Opposes Dallas Decision on Labor Day
I put some more about this on our civil rights
page. LCLAA and JwJ plan to continue petitioning for a genuine Cesar Chavez
holiday to be celebrated on March 31, his birthday. We intend to let the Dallas
City Council and the news people know that we support the Chavez family in
calling for recinding their decision last May. We’ll use an open letter for
that. Please join in that effort
We’ll also look to our August 11 meeting for further decisions. The
Farmworkers are in agreement, and we’ve started reaching out to other
progressive Latinos. Labor Day will present a special problem since the
divisive decision of the Dallas City Council is sure to have confused some of
the people who care for Cesar Chavez. What we discussed doing is asking for
booths at Labor Day activities so we can let people know that we reject the
Dallas City Council’s decision and that we continue to push for a real Cesar
Chavez holiday.
National JwJ Conference is September 6-9
People who have
attended a national JwJ Conference agree that it’s a terrific experience. The
participants get younger every year as more student groups join in. It’s in
Cleveland this year and is a great opportunity to improve our activist
abilities.
**
Area
Seniors Start Organizing Drive
See Retirees Section
(see
Coming Events Page)
Send E-mail to the Texas AFL-CIO to get on their "hot list" for
union news: ed@texasaflcio.org. Mention your union affiliation.
______________
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