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Immigrant Rights Rally Set July 17

The rally called for the Mexican Consulate in Dallas at 3 PM on July 17 is being called "Day of Dignity for Immigrant Workers." It will have two major themes: "Solidarity with the brothers and sisters in California," and "Respect for the Human Rights of Immigrants!" Sponsors are United Voices for Immigrants, Coalition of Mexican Organizations, and Friends of the World in Dallas.

The planning meeting at the Guadalupe Cathedral on July 10 was addressed by State Legislator Roberto Alonzo, a leading councilor from Catholic Charities, and leaders of every Latino group in the area, including the League of United Latin American Citizens. Almost everyone at the meeting spoke briefly. Topics included the need for drivers' licenses, misuse of anti-terrorism laws against workers, disgraceful racism in California raids, and the general abuse of Latinos in North Texas.

Representatives of the John Kerry for President campaign said that their candidate wants to enacta new and better route to citizenship. They also said that Kerry will come to North Texas to listen to Latinos.

Organizer Juan Gomez, President of United Voices for Immigrants, went over a list of Latino complaints and concluded, "The government of George Bush is the most lamentable of all." Afterward, he told reporters, "This mess has a name, and it is George Bush!"

June 29 "Rally for Retiree Benefits" a Success

click here

Join Growing Coalition Against Gobble-lization!

The Interfaith Committee for Economic Justice held another good public event on June 27. A pot-luck breakfast welcomed back the delegation of SMU students and professors who had been to Brazil. One of the main topics was international trade agreements. The speakers agreed that Brazilians do not like these so-called "free trade" agreements any more than we do!

Eleanor and David Brockman agreed to appear on the "Workers Beat" radio program on KNON 89.3 FM that Wednesday morning. We hashed out the "gobblelization" problem further.

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La Estrella (Star Telegram) and Channel 23 covered our anti-gobblelization press conference at the Dallas Peace Center on June 2.

Dr. Ron Wilhelm of the Interfaith Communities for Economic Justice led the discussion. Sister Patricia Ridgley and Dr. Joerg Rieger also made presentations from the faith-based perspective. Juan Gomez, Margarita Alvarez, and Jorge Del Cid made it clear that America's immigrants do not like the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) any better than North Americans do. Jim McCasland gave the AFL-CIO's perspective about the economic devastation that "free trade agreements" cause here in the U.S.

Dr Rieger was leaving that same afternoon for Brazil. He and some SMU students would look at the effects of international trade agreements while there. He pointed out that "free trade" doesn't work for ordinary people; it only works for big corporations.

Jim McCasland pointed out that the drain of good jobs had been the main concern of working Americans for years. He noted that the people of South America did not benefit because those runaway jobs do not pay a good wage after they leave this country. He also pointed out that organizing under semi-military conditions in many countries is even harder than organizing here. He noted that the kinds of work being outsourced was no longer limited to manufacturing, but was now hitting all kinds of servicing jobs. More and more Americans are realizing the dangers of transnational trade agreements.

Margarita Alvarez talked about the great repression that has occurred in her native Guatemala. She predicted that it would get much worse if CAFTA passes, because people will defend what little they have against rapacious corporations. She said that the current Guatemalan President, with whom she recently spoke, did not seem sensitive to the real needs of the people. He supports CAFTA.

Dr Wilhelm talked about the delegation to El Salvador during the previous summer. It had been organized by Sister Patricia Ridgley with the Maryknoll Mission. Wilhelm, Ridgley, and others learned from the Central American people that international trade agreements have been of no benefit to them. He talked about the economic destruction, particularly in agriculture, that results from incursions from transnational corporations. He corrected the image that the term "free trade" might evoke. He said the only free thing about the agreements is the freedom that corporations have to guarantee their investment profits through international trade agreements such as CAFTA. He alerted everyone to the even bigger danger posed by the so-called "Free Trade Area of the Americas." He said that CAFTA was a "stepping stone" toward FTAA.

Dr. Wilhelm and others outlined plans for future action. They include taking delegations to area Congresspersons, setting up a speakers' bureau, and holding a welcoming party for Dr. Rieger's group when they return from Brazil.

For more information about plans to fight gobble-lization, please see our Gobblelization page. Attend Jobs with Justice meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.

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You are Needed!

President Bush signed the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) May 28. With "Fast Track" working for him, there's a great danger that it will whip through Congress and become law. Bad as CAFTA is, it's only one step toward a much-larger "free trade agreement" that would give transnational governments sway over every nation in the Western Hemisphere except Cuba. Contact me and let's fight back!

The Texas Workers Compensation Commission (TWCC) is holding hearings on proposals to critically cut the few remaining rights of Texans who are hurt on the job. They are publishing their own gory details at www.twwcc.state.tx.us, where you can go to register your opinion. For further activities, contact Kym Grant, Executive Administrator, Doctors Guild of Texas #4
214 803 8252

Texas State Employees' Union, TSEU/CWA, is trying to stop a major consolidation of state services that could cut 7,500 jobs and considerably lower services to poor people. Write Boone Taylor at btaylor@cwa-tseu.org to see how you can help. Also see our TSEU page

The NAACP continues to lead the effort to register voters. They have had some amazing results with high school students. There will be a political action committee meeting Thursday, May 27, 2004. The meeting will begin @ 6:30pm. They are at the newspaper office at 2726 S Beckley Dallas, TX 75224. They will discuss the effectiveness of voter's registration drives and plan drives throughout the DFW area. All kinds of short-term volunteers are needed. Contact blydia@naacp-dallas.org.

We need a better system to alarm each other of all these local situations, and the Dallas AFL-CIO is working with national to create one. It will be completely secure and safe for all participants. Go to www.dallasaflcio.org to sign up.

Your input and participation on all the above is needed.

Love & solidarity
Gene Lantz
labor@att.net

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Immigrants Plan Action for May 8

(click here for report)

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Que Viva Cesar Chavez (click here for report)

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Unions Rally for Health Care

All over the nation on March 4, unionists and our allies held public events on the issue of health care. In Dallas, the rally was held at One Bell Plaza, 208 S Akard downtown. Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 6215 members poured out of the surrounding office buildings for a lunch-hour rally. They marched around all the buildings with colorful signs and loud chants. Local television stations carried out interviews with the participants.

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UNITE! Rallies Against Sweatshop Labor

Click here for the UNITE Section

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Tempo of Activities Increases

Radio:

KNON 89.3 continues to offer "Workers Beat" each Wednesday at 8 AM. Call in at 214-787-1893

Click here to see about getting more involved in the many battles for justice for America's wage earners.

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Unions, Churchpeople, Work Together

The National Interreligious Committee for Worker Justice is gathering forces and will likely have a new chapter in North Texas. Unionists and church activists gathered recently. Please click here for info.

Secure American Democracy!
Register and Vote!

A simple way to register is to click on http://www.dalcoelections.org/registration.html, then download the Texas voter registrationform. Print it, fill it out, and mail. The new rules require your Texas drivers' license number or the last four digits of your Social Security, even if you are using the old application card that says it's optional.

To vote in the March 9 Texas primaries, new registrations have to be in the mail by February 9.

You may need to register:
If you have moved
If you have not voted for 790 days
If you recently aged to 17 years and 10 months
If you have been convicted of a felony, but have finished parole/probation

Americans are concerned

Record turnout in early primaries indicates that many Americans are working to maintain our democratic rights. In Dallas, a highly successful coalition is registering voters. It is led by Bob and Linda Lydia of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and reaches all areas of the county. If you want to help them register voters, click here.

If you need a batch of the new registration cards, go to:

Dallas County Elections Department, 8th floor
Dallas County Health and Human Resources Bldg.
2377 N. Stemmons Fwy. Suite 820
Dallas, Texas 75207

The building is just South of the Motor Street exit on Highway 35 (Stemmons).

The new application cards demand a Texas drivers' license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. They have a pocket that people can use to provide proof of their identification. If the proof is not in the pocket, voters will be required to show drivers' license or other identification at the polls.

Application cards are mailed, postage free, to the county courthouse. Activists working to register voters in North Texas will need to know the zip codes of the County Courthouses in surrounding counties. Here are some of them:

Labor Promoted on Wednesday Mornings

Join host Gene Lantz on KNON radio, 89.3 FM, on the "Workers' Beat" program from 8 to 9 AM each Wednesday. The sponsor of the program is SEIU Local 100. Activists are encouraged to call the station at 214-787-1893 to be heard by radio listeners for many miles around Dallas.

How many times have activists said that we don't get fair treatment in the media? This is your chance!