Good times never been so good
First the steel industry, the dinosaurs, collapsed – 34 corporations in almost as many months. But that was no big deal – they were ancient history.
Corporate crime and steelworkers
Back in the roaring 1960s, Bob Dylan moved from the Mesabi Iron Range in Northern Minnesota to New York City. In those days the Mesabi Range was the home of thousands of United Steelworkers of America (USWA) iron ore miners.
The post-bubble economy: A better world
Across the country, it is finally sinking in. There really was a bubble in the stock market, and it has now burst. This is not like Tiger Woods having a bad day at the British Open. He may rebound to his past glory, but the stock market will not.
Too young to die, we want pensions!
PITTSBURGH – For steelworkers, 1949 was the year their union struck for pensions and health care. The strike shut down the entire metal-working industry, including aluminum and can. Over half a million members of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) walked the picket lines carrying signs that read, “Too old to work. Too young to die. We want pensions.”
Days of infamy in the nuclear age
Commentary There are a number of dates that live in historical infamy, like Dec. 7, 1941, and Sept. 11, 2001. Two other such dates are August 6 and 9, 1945. These were the days when the U.S. dropped never-before-used atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, resulting in some 300,000 deaths.
Labor draws the line at Stanley Works
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – There was a time when just about every family in New Britain had someone working at Stanley Works. Now, New Britain, once known as the machine tool capital of the world, is ground zero in the national fight against corporate thievery.
Suspicions emerge about Afghan bombing cover-up
The death of some 48 civilians and 100 wounded due to a July 1 U.S. bombing of the Afghan village of Uruzgan is emerging as a potentially volatile situation both for the new “warlord-dominated” Afghan government as well as the Bush administration.
South African communists convene 11th Congress
RUSTENBERG, South Africa – Nearly 1,000 delegates and guests attended the 11th Congress of the South African Communist Party (SACP) here, July 24 to July 26. Blade Nzimande, SACP general secretary, in his political report to the Congress said the gathering was “the largest ever of our great and glorious party.”
Bankruptcy reform: The poor pay more
An effort by right-to-life Republicans to include language that would allow hooligans who block access to abortion clinics to avoid court-ordered fines or judgments by declaring bankruptcy has so far prevented congressional action on bankruptcy “reform.” While the matter is certain to reappear when Congress reconvenes after Labor Day, the delay offers an opportunity to bring pressure on Congress to defeat the legislation.
Labor, city leaders back longshore union
SAN FRANCISCO – The AFL-CIO, San Francisco’s mayor and other leaders pledged support to West Coast dockers at a rally here July 24, as the International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s (ILWU) contract battle rages on.
