L.A. grocery strike: A picket line report
Workers’ Correspondence LOS ANGELES – Millions of Southern Californians have let the giant Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons grocery chains know that, despite the victory of Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger, there has been no shift to the right in the thinking of working people.
Strikes rock Bolivia
Bolivia’s President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, in an increasingly desperate effort to quell the massive strikes, demonstrations and peasant roadblocks that have virtually paralyzed Bolivia for over a month, announced on Oct. 13 that he was temporarily suspending his plan to export natural gas through Chile to the United States.
Freedom Ride shakes up political landscape
Opinion Armed with solidarity, songs and the legacy of America’s civil rights movement, two busloads of immigrants and their African-American, white, Arab-, Asian-, and Latin-American supporters faced down dozens of Department of Homeland Security agents and their dogs in the heart of Texas last week.
Venezuela today: a trade unionist speaks out
“If there is one country where we need solidarity, it is here in the United States.”
Labor mural unveiled
BREWER, Maine – On Labor Day about 150 enthusiastic union members and supporters gathered at the Labor Temple here to dedicate a mural large enough to cover three outside walls of the headquarters building of the Bangor Central Labor Council and several union locals.
93,000 jobs lost in August
“The day after President George W. Bush announced the U.S. economy was ‘looking up’ and proposed making most of his millionaire tax cuts permanent, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) confirmed that working families are enduring the worst job loss crisis since the Great Depression.”
Verizon talks continue
As of this writing negotiations are continuing between the Communications Workers of America (CWA), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and Verizon Communications management.
Steel union sounds alarm on jobs
“Unless there is a strong Democratic (Party) case for revitalizing manufacturing, there’s a good chance George Bush will clean the Democrats’ clock,” declared Leo Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA).
Colombian rural union leader describes struggles
CHICAGO – Liliany Obando is an official of the National Federation of United Agricultural Workers (FENSUAGRO) in Colombia. On a recent visit to Chicago she made several presentations, and was interviewed by the World.
UNITE to organize Cintas industrial laundry
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Victor Hidalgo is a man on a mission. Even though the outspoken father of four was fired from his job as an unloader at a Cintas industrial laundry facility in Connecticut, he still goes to his plant nearly every day, to bring fliers to his co-workers and to keep the organizing drive going.
